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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Andrew Lawrence in New York

The Brady Exception is another case of the NFL jettisoning objectivity and integrity

Tom Brady signed a huge contract with Fox to broadcast on games.
Tom Brady signed a huge contract with Fox to broadcast on games. Photograph: Kevin Jairaj/USA Today Sports

Tom Brady catches all the breaks. First, the Tuck Rule helped pave the way for his charmed NFL career. Now, there’s the Brady Exception to ease his unexpectedly rough transition into the broadcast booth.

Quick refresher: In May 2022 Fox rushed to sign Brady to a blockbuster 10-year, $375m deal to work as their lead analyst once he retired (that ended up being the end of the 2022 season). Then, a year later, Brady called a surprise audible and bought a 5% stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, without apparently considering how that might affect his position at Fox. In a typical setup, the top broadcast booths embed with the teams they’re covering in the days leading up to a game. But with Brady also a part-owner of the Raiders, other NFL teams justifiably worried his TV role would allow him to gain inside information on opponents.

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