NFL Agent Says Tom Brady 'Influences Everything' Raiders Do After Pete Carroll Firing

Following the firing of Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll, more details have emerged about part-owner Tom Brady's impact on the franchise.

ESPN's Kalyn Kahler and Ryan McFadden spoke to an agent of a Raiders player who revealed that Brady has been dictating the team's moves since being added to the team's ownership group in 2024.

"Tom definitely influences everything that goes on there," the agent said. "The coaching hire, the Geno Smith trade, Matthew Stafford recruitment, he was involved with all that."

The Raiders finished the 2025 season tied for the worst record in the NFL at 3-14 and will have the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft. When Carroll was fired on Monday, team owner Mark Davis announced that general manager John Spytek "will lead all football operations in close collaboration with Tom Brady, including the search for the club's next head coach."

While Brady is a legendary quarterback and a future Hall of Famer, some around the NFL are now questioning whether he should be running a team.

"Why couldn't they get the coach and the QB that they wanted?" asked a personnel executive for another NFL team. "Because people view that place as a place of constant dysfunction. And now Tom is involved and what did this year look like? More dysfunction. Why would people that have options and choices be interested?"

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Brady's job as the No. 1 game analyst for Fox Sports' NFL coverage also divides his attention, and many feel that it doesn't make sense for him to be making major team decisions without devoting the proper time to the franchise.

"It's a full-time job running a football team, making decisions in personnel," said a former Raiders assistant coach. "And they got a guy who calls games on Sunday giving them input on who they should hire and sign as a QB."

Kahler and McFadden noted that Raiders left tackle Kolton Miller said Brady has been in the building "five or six times this season." Other players said he "spoke to the team a couple of times this season, sharing wisdom and detailing his vision for the organization to become a winning club." Still, that clearly wasn't enough to bring success to Las Vegas this season.

"Tom has never run a team," said a former Raiders personnel executive. "I keep telling people, like Tom has all this influence, but Tom isn't in the building and he doesn't have any experience with this."

If Brady wants to rebuild the Raiders into a Super Bowl contender, it's clear that he needs to define his role as part-owner and figure out the best way he can help the team going forward, even if it means stepping back and limiting his influence over major decisions.