Raiders Need Tom Brady To Be an Influencer and Not Just Date Them

If Tom Brady isn’t too distracted by his rumored romance with social media influencer Alix Earle, the Las Vegas Raiders desperately need him to pivot back and help fix their losing franchise.The Raiders have huge decisions to make during the offseason and as a minority owner and seven-time Super Bowl winner, Mr. Brady’s expertise will be counted on as the team prepares for 2026. Not only do the Raiders need a head coach after firing Pete Carroll on Monday, but they also hold the No.1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft and must decide whether to utilize the top choice or trade it for additional draft picks to address the team’s many shortcomings after a dismal 3-14 season.Mr. Carroll, 74, was released after the first year of a three-year contract. His dismissal was one of several on what’s been called black Monday, the day after the final NFL regular-season games. In addition to the Raiders firing Mr. Carroll, Jonathan Gannon of the Arizona Cardinals, Raheem Morris of the Atlanta Falcons, and Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns were released by noon.Two coaches, Brian Daboll, formerly with the New York Giants and Brian Callahan, formerly with the Tennessee Titans, were released during the season.Raiders owner Mark Davis issued a statement announcing general manager John Spytek will work “in close collaboration” with Mr. Brady “moving forward.” This includes the search for the new head coach and planning for free agency and the draft“Together they will guide football decisions with a shared focus on leadership, culture and alignment with the organization’s long-term vision and goals,” Mr. Davis said in the statement.This marks the third straight season the Raiders have undergone a coaching change. Aaron Pierce was elevated from interim head coach for 2024 but fired after one season. Now his successor, Mr. Carroll, is out after one year. The new hire will be the seventh head coach or interim coach for the Raiders since 2021.It’s uncertain how much input Mr. Brady had previously. The winner of six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Bucs over 23 NFL seasons was awarded a 5 percent minority stake in the Raiders in 2024 after retiring in 2022.“Although Tom can’t play, I think he can help us select a quarterback in the future and potentially train him as well,” Mr. Davis said at the time.”Since then, Mr. Brady has been focused on career as a broadcaster with Fox as well as enjoying the life of a single celebrity athlete attending other major sporting events and having his social life followed on social media and in the tabloids. A video of Mr. Brady and Ms. Earle sharing some PDA at a New Year’s Eve party gained as much attention as the college bowl games.The Raiders need him to focus more on football. The stakes for 2026 are massive. The Raiders have made the playoffs just twice since losing to Tampa Bay in the Super Bowl following the 2002 season. They lost both games in the wild-card round and haven’t been to the post-season since 2021.The team is in desperate need of a franchise quarterback. The Raiders thought Geno Smith was the answer, teaming him with Mr. Carroll, his former coach in Seattle. But Mr. Smith, acquired in a trade, was a disaster, leading the NFL with 17 interceptions and enduring a league-high 55 sacks.Heisman Trophy winner, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, could be the answer, having led the Hoosiers to an unbeaten season and top-ranking in the College Football Playoffs. Or the Raiders could choose Oregon quarterback Dante Moore if he declares for the draft. Interestingly, Indiana (14-0) and Oregon (13-1) meet in the CFP semifinals at the Peach Bowl in Atlanta on Friday. It will be a rematch of the Ducks only loss the season when Mr. Mendoza and the Hoosiers claimed a 30-20 win at Oregon on Oct. 11.Since the Raiders don’t have a head coach to scout the game, expect Mr. Brady to either be on hand or take a long look at the tape. The last time the Raiders had the first overall pick, they drafted quarterback JaMarcus Russell out of LSU. He was a colossal bust, who was out of the league within three years.Mr. Brady figures to have a say in who is selected as the head coach as well. Brian Flores, the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator and former head coach of the Miami Dolphins, is rumored to be a top choice with Mr. Daboll potentially becoming the offensive coordinator.

Raiders Need Tom Brady To Be an Influencer and Not Just Date Them

Raiders Need Tom Brady To Be an Influencer and Not Just Date Them

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