It’s the second season of that infamous “Conflict of Interest,” which has deep ties with Tom Brady. The former NFL quarterback-turned-Fox analyst-turned-Raiders minority owner was spotted in the coaching booth during the Raiders’ game against the Chargers in Week 2, with the headset on.

Brady was plenty useful as the team’s minority owner last year, and in this offseason, no doubt about it. But when you’re calling a game in Week 1 and then hanging out in your own team’s booth the next, you don’t need a spark for the conflict-of-interest talk. It lights itself. And it raises certain questions as well. Grant Paulsen of Grant & Danny on 106.7 The Fan raised one such question.

“This is such a ridiculous conflict of interest,” he shared via his ‘X’ handle. “Brady was just calling the Commanders game last week. Got tons of behind the scenes access. But he can just be in the coaching booth when they play in WSH next week? How is this allowed? It’s nuts.” Indeed. The NFL has some sort of restrictions and permission for Brady as the owner and an analyst.

For instance, he has no access to another team’s production meetings and team facilities/practices. On top of that, he has limited interaction with players, coaches, and other teams, and he’s bound to follow league policies. But on the other side of the spectrum, the league has permitted him to broadcast the Raiders games and production meeting access (virtually).

Now the owners are supposed to represent their team’s competitive interests. Broadcasters, on the other hand, are expected to be neutral. So, when Brady flipped hats within a week, you can bet why Paulsen called it nuts. Because the offseason was a whole different thing. Back then, Tom Brady, as the Raiders’ minority owner, was involved in the team’s decision.

GM John Spytek even admitted it himself, “I would be a special kind of idiot if I didn’t use Tom as a sounding board for certain places.” And for Pete Carroll, Brady turned into what he called a “phone buddy.” Makes sense—Brady’s got two decades of quarterbacking experience sitting on the other end of the line, you pick it up. Plus, the Raiders’ GM had ties to Brady from their Tampa Bay days, so the connection ran deep.

But fast forward to the regular season, and the picture looks a little murkier. Brady’s not just a minority owner anymore. He’s also sitting in the Fox booth, calling NFL games. That’s where the whispers of conflict of interest kick in. Just in Week 1, he called the Commanders‘ game, met with the team, and probably walked away with more than a few notes in his mental playbook.

Then Week 2 rolls around, and he’s spotted up in the Raiders’ coaching booth, headset on. The real twist, though? Vegas faces Washington in Week 3. So if Brady’s back in the booth then, well… let’s just say the whole thing could go from eyebrow-raising to flat-out messy.

Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly have frequent talks with Tom Brady

Tom Brady’s role as the Raiders’ minority owner was never a problem. The problem starts when the NFL legend manages a couple of jobs at the same time—as the owner and as the Fox analyst. Sure, the conflict-of-interest talk is real—hard to ignore when Brady’s juggling the Fox booth and the Raiders’ booth. But at the same time, he’s also a valuable asset for the franchise.

The offensive coordinator, Chip Kelly, recently told ESPN that he speaks with Brady two to three times per week. Their conversation involves the game plan and going through film for the week. Carroll, however, called the report about Brady’s frequent conversation with the team’s OC about the game plan “not accurate.”

After the Monday Night Football, where the Chargers dismantled the Raiders with 20-9, Carroll noted, “We have conversations. I talk to Tom, Chip talks to Tom regularly. We have a tremendous asset. And we all get along and respect each other. We just talk about life and football. He has great insight, so we’re lucky to have him as an owner.”

Indeed! The Raiders, without any doubt, don’t feel shy about utilizing Brady’s experience in the NFL. However, with his Fox contract, the conflict of interest will persist. It’s the second season, and there are many more to come.