NFL owners approve Tom Brady's minority purchase of Raiders


NFL owners approve Tom Brady's minority purchase of Raiders

ATLANTA -- Tom Brady has another new role in the NFL: owner.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion purchased a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, a deal approved by NFL team owners on Tuesday at the league's annual fall meeting.

Brady, who played 23 seasons with the Patriots and Buccaneers, takes 5% control of the Raiders. He needed to receive 24 of 32 votes. The 47-year-old Brady can't come of out retirement and play football again unless he sells his stake in the team.

The deal was initially agreed upon in May 2023, but it took owners 17 months to give their approval over concerns Brady was receiving too much of a discount from Raiders majority owner Mark Davis. Brady's new job as a broadcaster with Fox also was an issue because it could represent a conflict of interest.

The NFL placed restrictions on Brady before the season to limit his access. He is not permitted to attend production meetings in person or virtually and may not have access to team facilities or players and coaching personnel. Brady may broadcast Raiders games. He also has to abide by the league constitution and bylaws that prohibit public criticism of officials and other clubs.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Richard Seymour, who played with Brady in New England, also received approval Tuesday to purchase a minority stake in the Raiders.

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* NFL owners unanimously approved Jacksonville's $1.4 billion "stadium of the future" Tuesday, a decision that should keep the Jaguars in one of the league's smallest markets for at least another 30 years.

With the Jags (1-5) getting ready to play the second of back-to-back games in London, NFL owners essentially ended decades of speculation about the franchise being a potential relocation candidate.

* The Super Bowl will return to Atlanta in 2028 at the home of the Falcons, following a vote of approval by NFL team owners on Tuesday at the league's annual fall meeting.

STEELERS: Russell Wilson's time may be fast approaching in Pittsburgh.

Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Wilson is "in consideration" to be the starting quarterback when the Steelers (4-2) host the New York Jets (2-4) on Sunday night. The 35-year-old nine-time Pro Bowler has spent the past six weeks recovering from a calf injury he aggravated a couple of days before the season opener.

While Tomlin stressed that Justin Fields "has been really good" while filling in for Wilson and the team has "been really good at times," the NFL's longest-tenured coach added that good was "not to be confused with great."

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Enter Wilson, who won the starting job at the end of training camp before tweaking the calf less than 72 hours before a Week 1 visit to Atlanta. Tomlin saw enough of Wilson in practice last week to have him serve as the backup behind Fields during a 32-13 win in Las Vegas, and there's a very real chance they could swap roles against the Jets.

"This is a competitive league, man," Tomlin said. "We're trying to position ourselves to be that team. And we got a player with talent who hadn't had an opportunity to play. So we're going to potentially explore those things."

Fields has been efficient and occasionally spectacular during his six-week audition. He's also largely avoided the kinds of mistakes that were a common thread during his three years in Chicago, throwing just one interception in 160 attempts. His accuracy, however, had dipped of late. Fields has completed just 57% (29 of 51) of his passes over his past eight quarters, down from 69% (77 of 111) across the opening month of the season.

Tomlin cautioned that the decision to give Wilson reps with the first team in practice this week has more to do with Wilson's experience and his resume than Fields' performance.

"Justin has been an asset to us," Tomlin said.

TRADE: Looking to add a playmaker for quarterback Josh Allen, the Bills acquired receiver Amari Cooper on Tuesday in a trade with the skidding Browns, whose season seems to be unraveling by the week with the NFL's worst offense.

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Cooper's a five-time Pro Bowler and his arrival will give Buffalo's patchwork receiving group a major boost. The Bills have needed a player of Cooper's stature since trading Stefon Diggs to Houston during the offseason.

The Bills sent a third-round pick in the 2025 draft and a seventh-rounder in 2026 to Cleveland for Cooper and a sixth-round pick in 2025. The swap also came a day after the Bills (4-2) beat the Jets 23-20.

For Cooper, the deal ends what has been a disappointing third season with Cleveland. The 30-year-old, who was in his final year under contract, has made numerous uncharacteristic drops that didn't help struggling Cleveland quarterback Deshaun Watson get his game on track.

JETS: Haason Reddick has been given permission to seek a trade, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson said at the NFL's fall meetings in Atlanta on Tuesday.

Reddick has not played this season while in a contract dispute with the Jets, who acquired him from Philadelphia in late March to boost their pass rusher. Instead, the star edge rusher has not been with the Jets since his trade was finalized and he passed his physical on April 1.

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