Raiders owner and Fox broadcaster Tom Brady has yet another gig — closer for his alma mater.
Via Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports, Brady had a direct role in helping Michigan secure quarterback Bryce Underwood. While a reported commitment of $12 million might have helped, Brady got involved.
“A FaceTime conversation between Brady and Underwood a few weeks ago marked the beginning of their relationship, which grew over multiple conversations,” Zenitz reports.
That’s fine, in isolation. But now that Brady has a vested interested in boosting the Raiders, he’ll need to tread lightly in his work as a Michigan booster.
From the NFL’s tampering policy, as it relates to college players: “No club, nor any person employed by or otherwise affiliated with a club or the League (including a player), is permitted to tamper with college players who are ineligible for selection or participation in the League. Direct or indirect attempts to induce underclassmen to petition the League for special eligibility or to declare to the League their desire to enter the League under the early-graduation rule are prohibited. Club personnel who make public comments about the football ability or NFL potential of underclassmen who have not yet been officially declared eligible for the draft will be subject to discipline by the Commissioner.”
In his role as a supporter of the Michigan program, Brady’s motivation would be to advice Underwood to stay put. But if the Raiders need a quarterback and would be in position to draft Underwood, Brady would be prohibited for directly or indirectly trying to persuade Underwood to go to the NFL early.
As written, the rule doesn’t prohibit other things that Brady could do to help the Raiders while also ostensibly helping Underwood. If, for example, Underwood is thinking about leaving Michigan (and possibly being drafted by a team with which the Raiders regularly compete), Brady would be permitted to persuade Underwood to stay in school. Likewise, Brady would be permitted to try to persuade Underwood to refuse to play for certain teams.
Still, there has to be a limit to what Brady can do for Underwood, if the friendship grows and Brady becomes an unofficial adviser. Ultimately, the league might need to come up with a set of rules aimed at keeping Brady from using situations like this to the benefit of the Raiders.
The league has already done that regarding Brady’s job as a broadcaster. Given his name and reputation and accomplishments, the league might need to consider ways to ensure that Brady won’t try to put his thumb on the scale for the Raiders under the guise of mentoring young players at Michigan or elsewhere.
