Tom Brady recently finalized a deal to become a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, and that has resulted in a big conflict of interest that the NFL may need to address.
Brady holds one of the 50 votes for the annual Associated Press awards, which include honors like MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, the All-Pro teams, and more.
Though the Raiders are one of the worst teams in the NFL this season, they still have candidates for some of the AP honors. Tight end Brock Bowers, for example, has been the best player in the NFL at his position and could receive consideration for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reached out to both the AP and NFL about whether Brady will be allowed to continue voting for AP honors. The AP had no comment, while the NFL said “the league plays no role in the voting process, including the selection of the panel of voters, and has no vote.”
As Florio notes, some players have contracts with incentives tied to AP award voting like being named a First- or Second-team All-Pro. That could potentially create an awkward situation with Brady essentially paying a portion of Raiders players’ salaries.
Brady has been able to work around supposed restrictions that are in place for him with his job as a FOX analyst. It is unclear if he will be allowed to continue to cast an AP vote, but it would not be a surprise if he gave up the responsibility at some point.
