Boomer Esiason slams Fox analyst Tom Brady over Raiders booth controversy

Boomer Esiason had a big problem with Tom Brady being in the Las Vegas Raiders’ coaches’ booth during the game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night. On Boomer & Gio, the former NFL MVP shared his thoughts on Brady, who is a minority owner of the Raiders and a color commentator on Fox.

“The fact he’s sitting in the Raiders’ coaches’ box with a headset on and talking to Pete Carroll, talking to (Jon) Spytek, their general manager, talking to their offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, is complete and utter B.S.,” Boomer Esiason said, per Awful Announcing. “Because the NFL is the ultimate competitive place. And you’re allowing a guy to sit there, who’s part-owner of a team, which is fine, and now he’s involved in these game plans.”

Esiason spent years calling NFL games on TV and radio and was also a co-host on the pregame show The NFL Today on CBS. He doesn’t believe that Tom Brady won’t share intel with the Raiders’ coaching staff after having production meetings with opposing teams.

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“I’m sorry. As much respect as I have for a player and have had for a player, in this regard, this completely goes against what the NFL is all about,” Esiason added. “Because the NFL is the ultimate competition. These guys are going to get fired. Guys get fired, they lose jobs. This guy seems to be insulated for some reason. And I understand why he’s insulated. He’s good for the league, I get it. But again, the conflict of interest is startling.”

Brady was approved to be a part-owner of the Raiders last October. He began his broadcasting career with Fox last September, and the NFL placed restrictions on his broadcasting access before Week 1 of the 2024 season. Last year, Brady was not permitted to attend in-person or online broadcast production meetings, and he did not have access to team facilities. The NFL is allowing Brady to attend production meetings remotely this year.

On Tuesday, the NFL issued a statement on Brady being in the Raiders’ coaches’ booth. “There are no policies that prohibit an owner from sitting in the coaches’ booth or wearing a headset during a game,” the league said in a statement obtained by NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero. “Brady was sitting in the booth in his capacity as a limited partner. All personnel sitting in the booth must abide by policies that prohibit the use of electronic devices other than league-issued equipment such as a Microsoft Surface Tablet for the Sideline Viewing System.”