Tom Brady: The savior Las Vegas Raiders have been waiting for

The fog of futility the Las Vegas (and Oakland) Raiders have experienced over the past three decades is unrivaled — unless you’re a Cleveland Browns fan. For a franchise with three Super Bowl trophies, it’s embarrassing to think their last Super Bowl appearance was a forgettable 48–21 loss to Jon Gruden’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002. Since then, they’ve gone through head coaches and quarterbacks faster than Kim Kardashian goes through boyfriends. Now, enter one Tom Brady — the man who might restore the Raiders’ swagger more than anyone not named Al Davis.

Despite Raider Nation’s long memory and desire to hold Brady in contempt for 2002’s “Tuck Rule” game, the former arch-enemy of the Silver and Black is now giving the world’s most notorious fanbase more hope and optimism.

Tom Brady already changing perception of Raiders’ organization

The Raiders have won only one playoff game since that 2002 Super Bowl run.

One.

In the same span, Tom Brady has won more postseason games (35) than several NFL franchises combined. His transition from Hall of Fame quarterback to broadcaster and now to part owner of the legendary Raiders franchise is being closely followed. Despite his legendary success on the field, the question now moves to whether he can repeat his success in whatever official role he has in the Raiders organization.

According to controlling owner Mark Davis, who spoke recently with FrontOfficeSports.com, Brady’s role will have a “huge impact.” But what exactly is his role? We still don’t know, but it appears to be a big one.

“He’s competitive and he’s very thorough in everything he does,” Davis told FOS about Brady. “He has an innate way of communicating that other people can understand. I am excited and really grateful that he’s part of the Raiders organization.”

Sources: #Lions OC Ben Johnson — the top candidate in this year’s cycle — is scheduled to interview with four teams and has set up virtual meetings as follows:

– Raiders & Patriots on Friday

– Bears & Jaguars on Saturday pic.twitter.com/qO1VZKCZSl

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 8, 2025

Despite his FOX Sports duties through the Super Bowl, there’s no denying Brady’s fingerprints are all over the team’s current coaching and general manager search. After firing Antonio Pierce after just one full season, where he went 4-13, and cutting ties with first-year GM Tom Telesco, reports quickly pointed to Brady’s involvement.

The fact that Tom Brady is even involved with the Raiders has changed the landscape and how the team can do things in just a short time. Case in point: the NFL’s hottest coaching candidate, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, is suddenly interested in the open Raiders head coaching job.

Tom Brady — an offer coaching candidates can’t refuse?

As soon as the Raiders decided to move on from Antonio Pierce, the names of possible coaching candidates began to emerge. Fits and possibilities became a bit clearer from Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen to former Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. Yet, one of five head coaching positions open in the NFL this offseason, the Raiders job wasn’t at the top of the list for the most desired candidates.

📫📫 1.9 Mailbag 📫📫

📨 @TomBrady's role in the New @Raiders.
📨 Names to watch for @49ers, @Colts DC jobs.
📨 @Giants' plans at 3.
📨 How the @NYJets will be structured.
📨 @ChicagoBears look under every rock.
📨 @Lions' survival plan on D.
📨 MORE!https://t.co/fcSfuyAXup

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 9, 2025

The hottest name in NFL coaching circles this hiring cycle has been the Lions’ Ben Johnson. Johnson is the coveted name known as an offensive innovator and creative play-caller. Early on, it was reported that Johnson had only been interested in three jobs: Chicago, Jacksonville, and New England. All three of those teams have talented, young franchise quarterbacks. The Raiders lack that asset, and, well, their history of turnover speaks for itself.

Enter the gravitational pull of Tom Brady.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported last week Johnson’s “initial plan was to take three interviews,” but “Brady’s sell job, through intermediaries, made the difference.”

Now many believe the Raiders are the leader in hiring Johnson.

The appeal of Tom Brady to coaching targets and GM candidates

Tom Brady is a brand, and his brand is simple: winning. People involved with the NFL want to talk to him, listen to his ideas, and get just a sliver of his championship DNA. Put yourself in a potential head coach’s shoes: if you’re offered an interview with the Raiders and you know Tom Brady will be there, you’re saying “yes” before answering the phone. It’s all about that gravitational pull. Brady has become the NFL’s ultimate magnet for credibility, and the Raiders are reaping the benefits.

Why Tom Brady shares commonalities with the legendary Al Davis

To understand why Brady’s input is essential, we first need to talk about the man who started the Raider tradition: Al Davis. A renegade, a rule-breaker, and a man obsessed with winning at all costs, Davis’ status as an NFL legend is without question. He would stop at nothing — absolutely nothing — to get an advantage. Whether that meant taking the league to court, embracing rebellious players, or inserting himself into just about any aspect of running the team, everyone knew the focus and desire to be great Davis held as a standard for his team. The man’s motto was clear and focused: ‘Just win, baby.’

That spirit is embodied by Tom Brady more than any other modern-era NFL quarterback. You don’t become the all-time leader in touchdown passes and the most decorated passer in Super Bowl history by making safe, conventional decisions. You do it by demanding excellence from everyone — including yourself. While their backgrounds and styles may differ, both men share the trait of a commitment to excellence.

Skepticism due to Brady’s lack of experience in the front office

Some naysayers will say that quarterback success does not indicate front office success. I’ve had dozens of readers/listeners ping me online to ask for examples of those who did it. And while I understand their lingering doubts, this isn’t just any former player. It’s the guy who transformed Bill Belichick’s New England dynasty into the greatest football power we’ve seen since the 1970s. He then left for Tampa Bay, where he won another Super Bowl with an organization that had not tasted postseason success in over a decade before his arrival.

Brady doesn’t just join teams, he transforms cultures from top to bottom. Even if he’s not calling the plays on the field, his blueprint for success, his obsession with fine-tuning every detail, permeates the entire building. And I know Mark Davis is listening.

So we can all agree Tom Brady is the goat right?

He’s so good we can’t compare him to other QBs we have to compare him to entire franchises pic.twitter.com/2TrVo7oN3B

— TB EGO (@TomBradyEgo) January 11, 2025

We shouldn’t gloss over Mark Davis’s role here. He’s spent years trying in vain to live up to his father’s legacy. Al Davis left massive shoes to fill—this is the same man who built the Raiders into the league’s most fearsome team and brand in the 1970s and 1980s.

Yet, you can’t deny the facts and the results here: Mark Davis’s attempts to recapture that bravado have primarily fallen flat. There have been glimpses of excitement—like the move to Las Vegas and his hiring of Jon Gruden—but no sustained run that suggests the Raiders are back. Now, pair Davis’s desire to restore the Raider mystique with Brady’s proven track record of turning losers into winners, and you have a potent combination. If Mark Davis has any of the football sense his father had, he’ll hand over the reins on football decisions to Brady moving forward. What’s there to lose?

Why would anyone doubt his ability to succeed?

You might wonder how Brady’s presence translates into wins for a team with only three winning seasons in 22 years.

Think about it: coaches and general managers who might’ve overlooked the Raiders because of the roster, the division, or the notoriously impatient front office are suddenly picking up the phone. If Brady co-signs this project, it’s hard not to consider Las Vegas a legitimate destination for front office, coaching and free agent candidates.

Second, there’s the mentorship factor that many have already recognized. The Raiders, whether it’s this season or next, will be investing in a young quarterback to develop into their franchise leader. Who better to be in the building to help mold a quarterback, instill discipline in the locker room, and push every unit—offense, defense, special teams—to demand the best out of each other? Even if he’s not suiting up, a Brady-led front office sets a new bar for QB development and accountability. The expectations will be sky-high, but I wouldn’t doubt the man who played the position better than anyone else.

No guarantee — but Brady as close as the Raiders have come in a long time

Listen, I’m not naive. Ultimately, the proof will be in the product on the field. Raider Nation is tired of waiting and impatient to win. We’re now on our third generation of fans who have never experienced sustained success to go along with their undying loyalty to the Shield. But given Tom Brady’s track record for turning organizations into juggernauts and the immediate boost he’s already providing the coaching and GM search in Las Vegas, you’d be foolish to bet against Tom Brady.

Like Al Davis, Brady refuses to accept losing. It’s that unwavering drive—bordering on obsession—that the Raiders have been missing for 30 years. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny he’s already commanding attention and attracting talent. For a franchise desperate to revive its glorious past, Tom Brady isn’t just the best option—they might’ve finally found their second coming of Al Davis. Or, at least, someone who embodies that spirit and vision.

One thing’s sure: Brady’s not just a minor investor in this franchise. He’s the real deal, proving it by diving headfirst into football decisions. With the Raiders in dire need of new leadership and a winning identity, Brady is poised to deliver that familiar rallying cry to a fan base that’s been starved for too long. And when it comes to the Raiders, the last three decades suggest they’ll take any glimmer of hope they can get—especially if it comes from the winningest quarterback in NFL history.

Buckle up, Vegas. Your savior might’ve finally arrived.

Scott Gulbransen is an editor and host at Sportsnaut and the longtime host of Silver and Black Today — an Audacy Sports original podcast covering the Las Vegas Raiders.