Tom Brady Shouldn’t Commentate Lions-Commanders Playoff Game Due To Conflict Of Interest, NFL Insiders Say: ‘It’s Just A Bad Look’

by Alessio AtriaJanuary 17, 2025, 4:32 pmNews >

Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady has been told he should not commentate on the Detroit Lions-Washington Commanders playoff game.

According to reports, Brady, the minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, has been tied to Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson throughout the head-coach hiring process. Johnson is currently the frontrunner for the Raiders job.

This has created an issue for Sunday since Brady, who once said that the NFL had gotten too soft, will have to then commentate on the Lions’ divisional-round matchup with the Washington Commanders.

Many, including Football Night in America insider Mike Florio and the sports media author Ben Axelrod, are skeptical that the ex-NFL quarterback can maintain an objective voice during this game.

During a virtual appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Florio stated that Brady “either has no self-awareness whatsoever to realize the various landmines and conflicts of interest.”

“And just, it’s just a bad look – him trying to do two jobs that do not mesh,” he said.

“The three-time NFL MVP will be tasked with calling a game featuring one of the NFL’s hottest head coaching candidates in Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, all the while the team he co-owns is in the midst of searching for a new head coach,” Axelrod wrote for Awful Announcing in an article published on Monday.

He added that “while some biases are inevitable when it comes to former players calling games,” he still believed that “the idea of [Brady] calling a Lions game at this point in the NFL calendar raises a whole new set of questions and concerns.”

“Will Brady be willing to criticize the Lions offense if need be, knowing that the team he owns is reportedly ‘enamored’with Johnson as a coaching candidate,” he asked. “And even with his restrictions in place as a result of his ownership role, what sort of access to the Detroit offensive coordinator might Brady’s preparations afford him that other NFL teams wouldn’t have the same access to?”

“By this point, the obvious issue with Brady’s dual roles is nothing new, with many believing it’s now only a matter of time until he’s forced to choose one or the other (which one he’d pick also seems clear),” the sports media author added.

“Still, never has it been more apparent than it is in the days leading into Lions-Commanders, with perhaps the only surprising part about all of this being that it took until the Divisional Round of his first season at Fox for such an obvious example of his newfound conflict of interest to make itself apparent,” Axelrod declared.

Brady has been dealing with bad press for a while.

During his broadcasting debut for Fox on June 16, 2024, Brady was ready to present the MVP trophy to Birmingham Stallions quarterback Adrian Martinez after their 25-0 victory over the San Antonio Brahmas. However, the crowd loudly booed at the ex-quarterback when he had taken the field.

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