The NFL did not impose any additional restrictions on Tom Brady this week

To those who insist that Tom Brady has no conflict of interest between his job at Fox covering all the teams and his position as owner of one of them, the NFL has acknowledged the problem by imposing restrictions on its activities for Fox.

This week, Brady hosts a game featuring two assistant coaches he interviewed for the vacant Raiders head coaching job and the conflict of interest. take center stagethe league has not made any changes to the existing rules.

“There were no further restrictions this week,” NFL chief spokesman Brian McCarthy said via email Friday. “Tom will continue to adhere to broadcast guidelines as well as anti-tampering and Rooney Rule policies.”

Broadcast guidelines prohibit Brady from attending practices, participating in production meetings and entering team facilities. They do, however, allow Brady to chat with players and coaches on the field and/or before the game.

There is a way to thread the needle that allows Brady, if he chooses, to speak repeatedly to Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and/or Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn by phone in the days leading up to the match. And even though Brady wasn’t and isn’t allowed to talk to them about the Raiders’ head coaching job (if in doubt, destroy the phone), Brady had a front-row seat to understanding how they did it. with a game plan for a high-stakes playoff game.

This gives him an advantage no other team has ever had in the search for a head coach. He has the chance to evaluate, in real time, the process of two candidates for the position of head coach of the Raiders in preparation for a knockout match. What better way to get a general idea of ​​whether Johnson and/or Glenn will step in or step aside when the pressure mounts?

Think about it this way. If you were looking to hire someone to come work for your company, wouldn’t you like the chance to see how the candidate does their current job? To have access to it while they do it?

Owners have overlooked or ignored the advantage the Raiders have, thanks to Brady’s dual role. They might feel differently if/when the Raiders move from “teams not to worry about” to “teams to take seriously.”