On Wednesday, news broke that if Tom Brady was approved as an owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, he would face severe restrictions in his role with Fox that could prohibit him from doing his job as an analyst and broadcaster to the best of his ability. But as it turns out, those restrictions actually start immediately.
According to a report from Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press, the restrictions won’t just go into effect when Tom Brady is approved as a part owner; they go into effect immediately.
“NFL says restrictions on Tom Brady start immediately because his potential transaction to purchase part of the [Raiders] is pending. He’s not permitted to attend broadcast production meetings (in-person or virtually) and may not have access to team facilities or players and coaching personnel. Fox staff is not subject to these limitations. He may broadcast Raiders games. He also has to abide by the league constitution and bylaws that prohibit public criticism of officials and other clubs,” Maaddi wrote for the Associated Press.
Needless to say, this will put Brady in a pretty tough spot as he heads into his first season with Fox as a broadcaster. We’ll have to see how he handles it.