As the NFL attempted to frame Tom Brady‘s partial-acquisition of the Raiders in a fair light, promises that his ownership role would be “passive” were plentiful. The same day that the deal went through, though, Raiders owner Mark Davis was already insinuating that Brady would have a role in selecting the team’s quarterback of the future. So, what exactly does the future hold for Brady in Sin City? 
Currently, Brady faces several restrictions on his roles both as an owner and as an announcer. The two roles provide too many overlapping opportunities to create an unfair competitive environment. Those restrictions include an inability to go to other NFL team’s facilities, sit in on production meetings for FOX, or witness practices.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated is of the opinion that Brady’s innate competitiveness will likely keep him from remaining under those restrictions. In order to shed them, though, Brady will eventually have to make concessions, and odds don’t seem to favor his broadcasting gig. Luckily for the NFL, Brady’s competitiveness won’t be putting him on the field. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, in addition to agreeing to the aforementioned restrictions, Brady also promised not to unretire.
While Brady’s role as owner could increase in the future, there’s a possibility that his involvement in the partial sale was as a pawn in a larger plan. Per Breer, there’s a theory that Tom Wagner, Brady’s business partner who assisted in the collective purchase, could be part of the eventual succession plan for Davis as majority owner.
Unlike with some other franchise owner situations, Davis does not have children or siblings. In fact, his mother, Carol, is technically in possession of the ownership shares of the team. Should she pass away, costly estate taxes could make things difficult for Davis. Wagner, chairman of Birmingham City F.C. in the English Football League One, has experience with franchise ownership and is familiar with many other NFL team owners. He could be high on the list of possibilities to replace Davis after getting his foot in the door with the Brady-sale.
Brady’s involvement in the sale helped to facilitate a massive discount that made the purchase much easier for Wagner. While Brady’s role in team-building and game-planning may increase in the future as his competitive drive takes over, his involvement in the sale may just have been a small piece of a larger succession plan.