Agent says Tom Brady intends to fulfill his entire 10-year contract with Fox

While Fox analyst Tom Brady plays an increasingly important role with the Raiders, he won’t play a different role at Fox.

His agent, Don Yee, tells Ben Fischer Sports Affairs Journal that Brady intends to fully execute his 10-year contract as a broadcaster.

“Tom has had a tremendous amount of fun working with Fox this year, and he is really excited about the future with Fox and his growth as a part of their team,” Yee told Fischer. “And this year was the first year of a long relationship.”

Fox would pay Brady $375 million over a decade.

Yee’s revelation comes at a time when some were suggesting Brady would leave Fox after the Super Bowl. And at a time when it was rumored that Brady wanted to make it known, as soon as possible, that he wasn’t leaving.

With Brady directly involved in the Raiders coaching search, his conflict of interest takes center stage. And he definitely has a conflict of interest.

Consider this definition of the term: “A conflict of interest arises when an individual’s personal interests—family, friendships, financial or social factors— could compromise their judgment, decisions or actions in the workplace.”

If, for example, Brady hope to hire Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to coach the Raiders, that goal conflicts with Brady’s obligation to give an unbiased, objective and complete analysis regarding his decision in Saturday night’s Commanders-Lions game. While delivering his quick, impromptu soundbites after a given play, Brady might pull punches if he thinks Johnson made a mistake. Brady might also unnecessarily and excessively praise Johnson for things going well.

As a result, Fox should absolutely disclose the conflict to the estimated 40 million people who will watch Commanders-Lions, with Brady on the call. The NFL, which is often quick to tell broadcasters what to do, should force Fox to do so.

This will not remove the conflict of interest. But it will ensure that those who don’t follow sports as closely as others (like you reading this blurb) are aware of a factor that could affect Brady’s choice of words in real time.

And if Brady is not going to remove himself from conflict, this needs to become a common feature of every play Brady calls.

Especially if/when he’s tasked with calling a Raiders game.

If Brady’s involvement with the Raiders helps turn the team into a national draw, he certainly will.