Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl champion who retired from the NFL after the 2022 season, revealed he had inquired with the league about a potential return to playing while holding a minority ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders.^[1][2]

The 47-year-old former quarterback, who turns 48 on August 3, 2025, told CNBC the NFL was not supportive of him unretiring as an owner-player.^[3]

"I actually have inquired, and they don’t like that idea very much," Brady said. "We explored a lot of different things, and I’m very happily retired. Let me just say that, too."

Brady added that participating in a recent flag football game reinforced his retirement decision. "I loved being out there, playing in the flag game. I loved not getting hit. ... But, if anything, that game reconfirmed to me that I’m very happy in retirement," he said.

An NFL spokesperson told CNBC that Brady would need to divest his Raiders stake under a league policy prohibiting players or team employees from holding equity in a club, which was updated in 2023.^[4] Salary cap issues would also arise for a player-owner.

Brady agreed in 2022 to purchase approximately 5% of the Raiders. The deal, initially blocked by NFL owners in October 2023 amid concerns over his FTX cryptocurrency endorsement, received unanimous approval from the league's finance committee on October 15, 2024, pending full owners' vote.^[5][6]

Sources

1. NFL.com
   Tom Brady retires from NFL for second time after 23 seasons with Patriots, Bucs
   February 1, 2023
   https://www.nfl.com/news/tom-brady-retires-from-nfl-for-second-time-after-23-seasons-with-patriots-bucs
2. Wikipedia
   Tom Brady
   Accessed November 2024
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brady
3. CNBC (attributed quote from draft; specific article unavailable for verification)
4. NFL Owners approve rules changes (for context on 2023 policy updates)
   NFL.com
   May 24, 2023
   https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-owners-pass-resolutions-on-work-rules-discipline-other-issues
5. ESPN
   Raiders-Tom Brady ownership stake approved by NFL finance committee, sources say
   October 15, 2024
   https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/41790862/las-vegas-raiders-tom-brady-ownership-stake-approved-nfl-finance-committee-sources-say
6. CBS Sports
   Tom Brady-Raiders ownership stake reportedly approved by NFL finance committee; full owners' vote next
   October 15, 2024
   https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/tom-brady-raiders-ownership-stake-reportedly-approved-by-nfl-finance-committee-full-owners-vote-next/