Juggling a Raiders ownership stake with his lead analyst role at Fox Sports, Tom Brady is navigating a new kind of pressure, and he made it clear to Colin Cowherd that he feels he’s being sidelined. Splitting his life between owning a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, he also anchors Fox Sports as their lead analyst. Recently, Brady laid it bare to Colin Cowherd, calling out how little importance he has been given on The Herd this season.

“It’s good to be on the show. Why have you not invited me at all this season?” Brady questioned Cowherd. “I thought we were in a good rhythm last year. We go to the Super Bowl and all of a sudden I’m X’d out from the show, but I’m glad we could at least come on here before the end of the regular season.”

Brady’s question was fair in terms of viewership as well. Fans love watching Brady on screen. The former quarterback has a following of 15 million on Instagram. This season, his appearances have been reduced to just one back in September. His last pregame chat aired before the Eagles faced the Chiefs in Week 2. Now, his return for Week 15 has raised eyebrows.

Tom Brady’s lack of appearances on The Herd is hardly new, because the same silence played out back in 2024. That season, Fox restricted Brady and Kevin Burkhardt from any outside interviews as part of a controlled PR strategy meant to protect the network’s top booth.

Jimmy Traina revealed this last year on the SI Media Podcast. Traina’s guest, former Fox Sports voice Joe Buck, expressed surprise at the decision.

“One of the many beauties of being at Fox was that they really didn’t care about that kind of stuff,” Buck said. “Going on with (Traina), going on with Pardon My Take, going on and saying s*** where you’re a real person, and you’re a real guest … I’m surprised.”

Brady signed his $375 million megadeal with Fox in 2022, and the contract officially kicked off last season. In October last year, the Raiders ownership group approved his move to become a minority owner in the franchise. 

Ever since then, critics have consistently questioned whether he can fairly balance both roles. Brady has pushed back against that narrative. He has explained that his goal as an analyst is simply to create “more informed fans.” Even so, the restrictions that come with being an NFL owner now stand in the way of any realistic comeback dream for him.

Can NFL rules stop Tom Brady’s comeback?

On The Herd, Cowherd poked the comeback talk, as Philip Rivers shocked everyone at 44 by unretiring and joining the Colts’ practice squad. Cowherd asked Brady if he could sling multiple scoring drives at 48.

“Yes, I certainly could,” Brady replied. “I think the answer for me would be yes. But I’m not allowed to anymore because I’m a minority owner of the Raiders, so I can’t unretire.”

The NFL imposes strict rules that place a ban on owners like Brady from returning to the field. ESPN reporter Seth Wickersham detailed this back in August. Brady cannot enter any rival team’s facilities, peek at their practices, or attend broadcast production meetings either in person or virtually. 

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Fox Sports still airs Brady’s game broadcasts, but his preparation process has changed dramatically compared to other analysts. He cannot access the deep dives and resources that his rivals receive. 

This approach follows a 2017 precedent when tight end Greg Olsen. He was still an active player for the Panthers and served as a broadcaster for a game featuring an upcoming opponent. The league blocked his full access to prevent any competitive advantage for his team. The same restrictions now apply directly to Brady.

For now, Brady’s ownership duties and analyst responsibilities have boxed him in tightly, but comeback conversations continue to simmer quietly. Perhaps the door will never fully close for the GOAT.