Raiders Fox Game Could Pose Issue

Tom Brady's criticism of NFL officials during the broadcast of the Detroit Lions-Green Bay Packers game on Nov. 3 could possibly land him in hot water with the NFL due to his status as a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.

The tension between Brady's job as a color commentator for NFL games for Fox Sports and his 5% ownership stake in the Raiders has reached a peak because Brady has to follow certain rules that apply to anyone who owns part of an NFL franchise.

He is not allowed to publicly criticize game officials or other teams or he could be subject to fines or even a suspension if he went too far with his commentary, according to a report by ESPN .

During the Fox broadcast of the Lions' 24-14 win over the Packers, Brady was critical of the decision by officials to eject Detroit's Brian Branch from the game. Branch was penalized for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Packers receiver Bo Melton and then was ejected after a call that came from the NFL's review center.

Brady disagreed with the decision on air.

"I don't love that call at all. I mean, obviously it's a penalty, but, to me, that has to be serious intent in a game like this," Brady said in a clip shared on X by Awful Announcing.

Brady's comments have led to discussion online regarding whether they violated the rule about public criticism of officials. The NFL has not announced whether any discipline is forthcoming against Brady.

He is in the first year of a 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox as an announcer after a Hall of Fame career as a quarterback.

NFL senior vice president of officiating Perry Fewell told a pool reporter after the game that the decision to eject Branch was made in agreement between the game officials and the review center in New York, according to The Associated Press .

"We reviewed all the angles, and we clearly felt that he had time and space to make a different choice, as the act was a flagrant foul," Fewell said. "And he clearly had the opportunity to avoid the head and neck area."

Other rules Brady agreed to abide by due to his minority ownership stake include not being allowed in another team's facility, not being allowed to watch practice, and not attending broadcast production meetings, according to ESPN.

Broadcast teams typically have access to coaches and players in the days leading up to the game to help with background information that can benefit the telecast.