Tom Brady’s role as a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders is currently causing debate in the NFL. Former Raiders coach Antonio Pierce now shares his candid insights.

The NFL is not just about sports, but also about politics.

That’s why the more you get closer to the franchise, the more watered down the comments about Tom Brady and his role with the Las Vegas Raiders become.

The fact that Brady was sitting in the coaching box wearing a headset during the Raiders’ Week 2 game to monitor communication between coaches and the team during the game sparked debate. Critics see a conflict of interest. Antonio Pierce has now spoken out. He was the Raiders’ coach from 2022, first for the linebackers and then as head coach from 2023. This means that he experienced Brady’s arrival at the franchise and how the collaboration with the legendary quarterback unfolded at the time.

“What we’re seeing here is unprecedented,” Pierce said on SiriusXM Mad Dog Radio. “Honestly, I think I would feel uncomfortable if it were the other way around. Because this isn’t about just any person. Tom Brady is the absolute elite, one of the greatest quarterbacks, one of the greatest players ever.”

Tom Brady gathers information

What Pierce means is that Brady soaks up information as a TV expert, whether in training or in production meetings. He then takes these insights with him to the Raiders. “It would be naive to think that he doesn’t share these impressions with the Raiders – after all, we talked about certain things,” Pierce revealed.

According to Pierce, the focus was on how to get the Raiders back on track. However, the collaboration only lasted a few months. Brady officially joined in October 2024, and Pierce was gone by January 2025. He points out that Brady was much more involved in the past offseason. “I think he helped build the team this year. Many decisions can be traced back to him.
Even my dismissal was probably one of his calls. And he’s also deeply involved with Pete Carroll and Geno [Smith]. Maybe that would have helped me last year – but I didn’t have Tom by my side in that capacity,” Pierce said. Pierce understands that the consequences of the two commitments as a minority owner and TV expert are sometimes downplayed.

“Everyone will give you the political answer and say, ‘Oh, it’s no big deal,’” Pierce continued. He calls that “bullshit. If you and I were commentating on a game, they would keep everything secret from us. But now you have a minority shareholder, one of the greatest players ever – someone who understands the game, who can read it. And he has an interest in the Raiders.“

He doesn’t know what rules the NFL has set for Tom Brady, he said: ”But I know that he was a huge asset to us at the Raiders back then. And I’m convinced that he will continue to be one in the future – for himself and for the Raiders.”

The league stated on Tuesday that Brady had not violated any rules: “There are no rules prohibiting a team owner from sitting in the coaching booth or wearing a headset during a game,” said NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy.