Tom Brady Answers Conflict Of Interest Claims In Typical Brady Way: By Attacking

Amid a flood of attention, questions and even accusations about his potential conflict of interest as both a Las Vegas Raiders minority owner and Fox lead NFL analyst, Tom Brady laid out his thoughts on the matter Wednesday in the most Brady way imaginable.

He attacked.

In his weekly newsletter published Wednesday, Brady wrote that only "paranoid and distrustful" people would believe there is a conflict of interest in the roles he holds within the NFL.

"I love football," Brady writes. "At its core, it is a game of principles. And with all the success it has given me, I feel I have a moral and ethical duty to the sport; which is why the point where my roles in it intersect is not actually a point of conflict, despite what the paranoid and distrustful might believe.

"Rather, it’s the place from which my ethical duty emerges: to grow, evolve, and improve the game that has given me everything."

Not Everyone Seeing Conflict Is Paranoid

This is interesting because all the attention on this conflict of interest matter is not solely coming from paranoid and distrustful people. 

No less than Tony Dungy, who is a Super Bowl winning coach, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, and an analyst on NBC's Sunday Night Football, told OutKick's Don't @ Me on Tuesday that Brady's situation is "definitely a conflict of interest."

Dungy pointed out that Brady, like other broadcasters, can go on the field prior to games and talk to players on both teams and collect information from players and coaches. An NFL owner would be prohibited from having those conversations with players on opposing teams under the league's tampering policy.

(Tom Brady. Getty Images)

Brady: Critics ‘Blinded By Distrust’

Brady, who is operating under certain NFL guidelines that address his unique situation, doesn't answer that issue in his letter. He instead says people that see the obvious potential for conflict of interest are "blinded by distrust."

And then he slams those folks.

"When you live through uncertain and untrusting times like we are today, it is very easy to watch a person’s passions and profession intersect, and to believe you’re looking at some sort of dilemma," Brady writes. "Because when you’re blinded by distrust, it’s hard to see anything other than self-interest.

"People who are like that, particularly to a chronic, pathological degree, are telling on themselves. They’re showing you their worldview and how they operate. They’re admitting that they can only conceive of interests that are selfish; that they cannot imagine a person doing their job for reasons that are greater than themselves. (These kinds of people make horrible teammates, by the way.)"

Those are strong words. But they don't account for the full context of the situation.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady celebrates with coach Bill Belichick after the AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Jan. 20, 2019. Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

(Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

‘Deflategate’ Suspension Not Forgotten

There are questions about Brady because, well, his reputation for being perhaps the greatest player in the sport includes on the margin the fact he was once suspended for four games by the NFL for basically cheating.

You'll recall that in 2015, the NFL investigated the New England Patriots for deflating footballs in the AFC playoffs the previous season. And the investigation concluded it was "more probable than not" that Brady was generally aware of Patriots staffers Jim McNally and John Jastremski deliberately deflating footballs.

Text messages between McNally and Jastremski suggested they were altering footballs to suit Brady’s preferences, and they got special treatment (like gifts of shoes or memorabilia) in return.

Former Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Antonio Pierce Claim Unanswered

Brady maintained his innocence and even took the NFL to court on the matter. But in court, the NFL showed how Brady declined to turn over his personal cell phone to investigators, which the league said raised suspicion and undermined Brady's credibility.

Brady won in a lower court but eventually lost in Federal Appeals Court. In July of 2016, Brady accepted the NFL's suspension for the coming season. 

One more thing:

Last week, former Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said in 2024, Brady's first season working for Fox, the analyst would gain information and "you’d be foolish to think that he’s not going to share that with the Raiders, because we had those conversations about certain things."

Brady Adds Knowledge To Fans, Raiders

Brady has not addressed the Pierce contention. 

"I believe that if I do my job as a broadcaster the right way, as best as I know how to do it, with passion and openness, with a helpful, positive, optimistic mindset, the result will be more informed fans who grow to love football the way I do," he writes. "Fans who understand the game better. Fans who come to identify, appreciate, and expect the kind of we-first team play that was a central part of my success as a player and a key factor in the joy I got out of the game. 

"If I can bring my knowledge and experience to bear inside the Raiders organization to ensure there’s one more team that does things the right way; and then I can apply it in the booth, so millions of people know and enjoy what the right way looks like – then I will have lived up to the expectations I have for myself, and I will have done so in service of a much greater duty…"