On Tuesday, NFL owners approved Tom Brady’s acquisition of a 5% stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. The purchase was from Mark Davis, the current owner responsible for relocating the team from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2020. Davis inherited the team following the death of his father, Al Davis, in 2011.
“It’s great that Tom Brady wants to invest in the NFL,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell during the Fall League Meeting in Atlanta. “He cares deeply about this game. He believes in its future, and I think that’s just a signal of that.”
While the exact terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, Forbes estimates the value of the Raiders to be approximately $6.7 billion. Thus, a 5% stake would be worth around $335 million.
Throughout his Hall of Fame career, Brady earned more than half a billion dollars on the field, with additional earnings from sponsorships and investments. Since his second retirement in 2023, Brady receives an annual salary of $37.5 million through a 10-year deal with Fox Sports.
The Las Vegas Raiders have struggled to gain the full support of Southern Nevada since their relocation. The team had losing seasons in both 2022 and 2023, and Allegiant Stadium—the $1.9 billion venue partially funded by $750 million from Clark County—often sees more fans from opposing teams. As of 2024, the Raiders hold a 2-4 record, with one of those wins against the struggling Cleveland Browns, and rank 29th in home attendance out of the NFL’s 32 teams.
Before the acquisition, many Raiders fans speculated whether Brady might consider coming out of retirement for a third time. However, owning a stake in the NFL team now prevents a potential comeback.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion expressed his excitement and humility in becoming part-owner of the Raiders. Brady, who grew up in San Mateo, California, near the Bay Area, described the purchase as bringing his “football life and journey full circle.”
“I’m incredibly humbled and excited to have been unanimously approved as an owner of the Las Vegas Raiders,” Brady said. “Throughout my NFL career, I’ve learned that at its core, football is a game of teamwork, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. The Raiders franchise, and the City of Las Vegas, embody these same values, and I’m honored to become part of that story.”
Despite his newly fostered affection for the Raiders, Brady’s dominance over the team during his playing days was evident. Over his 23-year career, he maintained a 6-1 record against the Raiders, throwing for 12 touchdowns and only one interception.
The Raiders’ odds for success this season remain dim. Currently holding a 2-4 record through week six, their chances of making it to the playoffs are long. DraftKings lists the odds of Las Vegas playing more than 17 games this season at +1100, translating to an implied probability of just 8.3%. Winning a Super Bowl, something the Raiders haven’t achieved since 1983, is even more unlikely, with odds set at +35000, or less than a 0.3% implied probability.