There’s been a lot of talk about how being an NFL team owner will impact his ability to be an impartial commentator for Fox, not to mention how he’ll do his job well despite the myriad limitations.

However, there’s another layer to Brady’s new status as a member of the ownership class that hasn’t been discussed much. How does that affect the way he talks about players when it comes to another team owner? Furthermore, if he criticizes a player, can his opinion be considered independently of team owners?

During the Thanksgiving Day game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, the Fox broadcaster shared his thoughts on Daniel Jones’ situation. In particular, he questioned Jones’ decision to request his release from the franchise as he sat on the bench for the remainder of the season, presumably ending his time with the team.

“I don’t know how the whole situation played out, but to think that you’re asking for a release from a team that’s very committed to you is probably different than how I would have handled it,” Brady said. “I always felt that no matter the situation, I wanted to gain the trust and respect of my teammates because I knew that I was trying to do my best for the team because that was the most important thing.

“There are some different things that happen in the NFL and everyone makes individual decisions and I think we all face different challenges at certain points in our careers. I met her in college and some things didn’t go the way I wanted. But the people that mattered most to me were the guys in the locker room. I showed up every day. I don’t care if they asked me to be the safety of the scout team, the quarterback of the scout team. I wanted to do everything I could to help the team win.”

Team owner Tom Brady criticizes Daniel Jones for demanding his release from the Giants after he was benched pic.twitter.com/tve9TXOMf4

– Awful Announcement (@awfulanncreasing) November 28, 2024

First of all, none of this is all that shocking from what we know about Brady. The seven-time Super Bowl champion has always preached this kind of team-first mentality and it’s hard to disagree with him given all of his success.

However, it’s impossible to separate Brady’s ownership status from the way he expressed his criticism. He specifically admonished Jones because the Giants gave him a big contract, implying that the quarterback should have just sucked it up and waited for the team to decide his fate in the offseason.

That’s exactly what an owner would say.

Now both can be true. Tom Brady, the former quarterback, can say that he would be the scout team’s safety if that was required of him (which, by the way, is very easy for him to say). Tom Brady, the NFL team owner, may also want to send a message that he believes players should honor their contracts and put the franchise above themselves in all situations.

Maybe Brady can get it 100% with the quarterback version, but he no longer benefits from the benefit of the doubt. And that’s just part of the agreement he made as owner/broadcaster. Even if it is not what is happening, the perception is reality.

(NFL on Fox)