Last offseason it was reported that legendary quarterback Tom Brady was nearing a deal to purchase a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. But right as it looked like things were a done deal, an NFL rule change forced the two sides to switch gears and find a new route to make the purchase happen.
One major issue was that the price given to Brady for the purchase was at a much lower valuation than what the Raiders were worth, which did not sit well with the other owners. But Brady and the Raiders went back to the drawing board, and now it looks as if the sale will finally go through.
According to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, the agreement between Brady and the Raiders was recently altered and now looks set to gain approval:
Davis had initially agreed to sell Brady a stake in the team at a significant discount, which other owners balked at, and as a result Brady’s purchase was stalled. But NFL Media reports today that the Brady-Davis agreement was recently altered to reflect the proper valuation of the team, and it now appears set to gain approval.
The NFL’s Finance Committee will consider Brady’s purchase at its upcoming meeting on March 4 or 5, and that would pave the way for approval at the NFL Annual League Meeting in Orlando March 24-27.
That level of a discount Mark Davis and the Raiders offered to Brady was simply not going to fly with the rest of the owners. Thankfully, things finally look like they have been fixed, and everyone will soon be able to put this behind them and move forward with Brady officially being a minority owner of the Raiders.
This offseason is a huge one for the Raiders franchise as they look to build on the momentum gained at the end of the season with Antonio Pierce as head coach and a front office headed by Tom Telesco. Getting Tom Brady in the building at an ownership level and helping out as well could ultimately help finally get the Raiders over the hump.
Chad Ochocinco a member of the Raiders coaching staff?
There also may or may not be another former excellent player joining the Raiders on the coaching staff. Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco met with Antonio Pierce while in Las Vegas for the Super Bowl and later claimed that he was now a member of the Raiders coaching staff.
Pierce himself responded to the claim on social media, but the vague quote neither confirmed or denied whether Ochocinco was telling the truth. It may not be until training camp when the answer will finally be revealed.