Aaron Rodgers may own the Chicago Bears, but that's only on the field. Now Tom Brady has one-upped his former rival by actually owning an NFL team.
Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are two of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. Upon the announcement of Brady's retirement, many fans lamented the end of an era — and the end of a rivalry. Now, Brady has taken the rivalry to a whole new level.
Aaron Rodgers is frequently referred to as the owner of the Chicago Bears, but that's figuratively and mentally. Now Tom Brady owns the Las Vegas Raiders literally.
The future Hall of Famer finalized a deal to purchase a minority stake in the Raiders, who happen to employ Rodgers' former teammate and touchdown partner Davante Adams.
Tom Brady purchases minority stake in Las Vegas Raiders
Brady won't be officially on the owner's board for a while, as the NFL still needs to approve the transaction. Brady was infamously involved in rumors of potential ownership stake with the Miami Dolphins a few years ago after his first retirement. Those plans never came to fruition, however, and Brady un-retired to play another year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It's not surprising to see Brady extend his business ventures off the field. He has been promoting his own personal clothing brand on social media for years now and Brady is expected to consider a career in broadcasting now that his playing days are over.
The Raiders are caught at an organizational crossroads right now; not really built to contend, but still building the offense around NFL vets like Davante Adams and Jimmy Garoppolo. Can we also take a moment to appreciate the irony of Brady now owning the team that employs (and starts) Jimmy G at quarterback? Oh, how the turntables.
Brady already has a working relationship with Raiders majority owner Mark Davis through the Las Vegas Aces of the WNBA. The sports industry in Vegas is booming; the Oakland Athletics are expected to relocate to Vegas in the near future and it is widely speculated that the NBA will expand to Vegas at some point too.
Brady could continue to extend his vines in the Vegas sporting world. Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers is trying to figure out how to win games with the New York Jets next season. We still have a couple years before Rodgers has the chance to answer Brady with an investment of his own.