Report: Tom Brady's Raiders Stake Faced Resistance over 'Quality of His Money'

Tom Brady was approved to purchase a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders this week, but he reportedly faced some obstacles before he reached this point.

ESPN's Dan Graziano reported that "during the process of trying to buy a piece of the Raiders, he ran into resistance from NFL team owners who worried about 'the quality of his money,' as one source put it."

Graziano described Brady becoming a minority owner of the Las Vegas franchise as "potentially a significant breakthrough for players at a time when new NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. is focused on how to expand opportunities for players to obtain equity in NFL teams." However, he explained that there is still hesitance from owners who have been historically opposed to players getting an ownership stake.

"Basically, the owners tend to look at even the wealthiest players as being of a different class of wealth, and as a result are hesitant to open the doors to their club to them," Graziano stated. "Now that Brady has bought into a team, you wonder if that creates opportunities for players to pursue equity stakes as part of the future economic landscape of the league."

Brady's minority stake in the Raiders came with a slew of caveats, as the legendary quarterback also works as a lead analyst for Fox and his access to opposing teams required some limitations in order to complete the deal:

Still, Brady expressed his excitement in a statement posted on social media, calling it "a blessing to know I'll be involved in the greatest league in the world for the rest of my life."

"Throughout my NFL career, I've learned that at its core, football is a game of teamwork, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of excellence," Brady added. "The Raiders franchise, and the city of Las Vegas embody these same values, and I'm honored to become part of that story."