Tom Brady is looking to do something few NFL players have done before: become a part-owner of an NFL team.
Brady agreed to terms with Raiders owner Mark Davis to buy a minority share in the team in May 2023.
"We're excited for Tom to join the Raiders," Davis told ESPN at the time. "And it's exciting because he will be just the third player in the history of the National Football League to become an owner."
Indeed, Brady would be just the third player to become an NFL owner. The other two are Bears legend George Halas and former Panthers owner Jerry Richardson.
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Nearly a year into the process, Brady's purchase has yet to be approved. That said, neither side should be worried about about that, at least not according to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Latest on Tom Brady's Raiders ownership
Goodell was asked about Brady's bid for an ownership stake in the Raiders on Tuesday at the NFL's annual meeting. He stopped short of saying that Brady was approved as an owner, but the commissioner stated that the bid was "making progress."
"I wouldn't say it's a delay," Goodell said of Brady's ownership bid, per ESPN. "We go through a very thorough process ... We're just going through our process. We've been in touch with their side. I think it's been making progress."
NFL owners would need to vote on welcoming Brady into their ranks, even as a minority shareholder in a team. He would need a supermajority of 24 votes to be approved.
The NFL is not planning to vote on Brady's candidacy at the March annual meetings. They are next scheduled to convene in May, so that could be a target date for approving Brady as a part of Las Vegas' ownership group.
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Did Tom Brady buy the Raiders?
To be clear, Tom Brady did not buy the Raiders in full. He is merely buying a stake in the team, though it isn't clear what percentage of the team he will own.
Forbes estimates that the Raiders are the sixth-most valuable team in the NFL as of 2023. They are worth $6.2 billion.
| Rank | Team | Valuation |
| 1 | Dallas Cowboys | $9 billion |
| 2 | New England Patriots | $7 billion |
| 3 | Los Angeles Rams | $6.9 billion |
| 4 | New York Giants | $6.8 billion |
| 5 | Chicago Bears | $6.3 billion |
| 6 | Las Vegas Raiders | $6.2 billion |
| 7 | New York Jets | $6.1 billion |
| 8 | Washington Commanders | $6.05 billion |
| 9 | San Francisco 49ers | $6 billion |
| 10 | Philadelphia Eagles | $5.8 billion |
Comparatively, Brady has an estimated net worth of $300 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. Thus, it's fair to expect that the former Patriots and Buccaneers quarterback is planning to buy just a small percentage of the valuable franchise.
Perhaps Brady will be able to spend more on the team down the line depending on how his 10-year, $375 million contract to broadcast NFL games on Fox pans out.
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Did Tom Brady sign with the Raiders?
No, Brady did not sign with the Raiders. In fact, his buying an ownership stake in the Raiders should guarantee that he won't play again in the NFL after retiring from the league for a second time on Feb. 1, 2023.
Brady has repeatedly made it clear that he isn't going to return to the NFL for a 24th season. He changed his mind about retiring in 2022, but he didn't play last season and appears ready to move onto the next stage in his career.
At this point, it appears that will involve calling games on Fox and working to help the Raiders reshape themselves into a Super Bowl contender as a part of their ownership group.
