The NFL prevents Raiders owner Tom Brady from attending practices or production meetings in advance of his games with Fox. The rest of his crew, however, is permitted both to attend and to share the information they gather with him.
That tweak in the rules raised a question on today’s PFT Live. Will a coach of a team other than the Raiders ban Brady’s colleagues from getting an inside look at practice and extra access to coaches and players?
In a Thursday conference call with media, the NFL said coaches are not permitted to politely (or otherwise) tell Kevin Burkhardt, Erin Andrews, and Tom Rinaldi to hit the road due to concerns that secrets will make their way back to Brady.
The issue becomes relevant this weekend, when Brady and Fox handle the Chiefs-49ers game. Does Kansas City coach Andy Reid really want to open the vault for folks who then, as part of their normal job duties, will funnel information directly to Brady, who is now an owner of the Raiders?
The fact that Reid or Broncos coach Sean Payton or Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh can’t keep Brady’s colleagues out of the building provides even more proof in support of the notion that Brady shouldn’t want to do both jobs — and that he shouldn’t be allowed to do both jobs.
It’s too late for the latter. It’s not too late for the former. Hopefully, Brady will realize that he should pick a lane.