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Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo shreds Tom Brady, NFL over involvement in Raiders coaching search

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones01/07/26brianjones_93

Chris “Mad Dog” Russo is unhappy that Tom Brady is involved in selecting the next head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. While appearing on ESPN’s First Take on Wednesday, Russo shared his thoughts on the Raiders announcing that Brady would help lead the coaching search.

“What is Brady doing?” Chris “Mad Dog” Russo asked. “The NFL is going to allow Brady to call the games on FOX and also pick the Raiders coach? He’s an owner. You can do one or the other. You can’t do both. This is ridiculous, that the guy who is gonna call a game this weekend is gonna pick the Raiders coach and the quarterback and the No. 1 pick.”

Tom Brady is a minority owner of the Raiders, along with being part of the top broadcast team on FOX. After the Raiders fired head coach Pete Carroll, owner Mark Davis announced that Brady would work with Raiders general manager John Spytek to find the next coach.

“Moving forward, General Manager John Spytek will lead all football operations in close collaboration with Tom Brady, including the search for the club’s next head coach,” Davis said in a statement. “Together, they will guide football decisions with a shared focus on leadership, culture, and alignment with the organization’s long-term vision and goals.”

Tom Brady ‘has a lot of say’ in the Raiders organization

Brady began his role as a Raiders minority owner in 2024, the same year he began calling games for FOX. The seven-time Super Bowl champion owns only around five percent of the franchise, but with his heavy involvement in football operations, he was brought on to help turn things around.

“Brady has a lot of say in the organization,” an agent of a Raiders client said in December, per Kalyn Kahler and Ryan McFadden of ESPN. “Pete will be gone, and Spytek will stay because Brady will want it that way. Mark Davis needed an influx of cash to operate at a different level. With new cash comes strings, and those strings are Tom Brady.”

Brady hopes he will find a head coach who can get the Raiders back to being a Super Bowl contender. The last time the Raiders reached the championship game was in 2002, and they have made the playoffs just twice since the Super Bowl run.