Tom Brady is widely acknowledged as the greatest quarterback of all time. His knack for performing in the clutch and winning Super Bowls is unparalleled.
But his current juggling act might be every bit as difficult an endeavor.
Brady made his NFL broadcasting debut as an analyst for Fox in September after signing a 10-year, $375 million contract despite being a novice in the booth.
A month later the NFL approved his purchase of a minority ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders.
The apparent conflict of interest was negotiated, with Brady forbidden from attending production meetings ahead of the games he called and from attending NFL practices for teams other than the Raiders.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion addressed it Wednesday during a news conference.
Of broadcasting, he said, "I understand I am a long way away from being a finished product but I really enjoy the opportunity."
Of team ownership, he said, "The best part for me is I love football so much and the fact that I get to be involved with it for the rest of my life and showcase this great game, not just as a broadcaster, but in a limited partner role with an organization."
Both roles already have been marked by achievement. He's barreled ahead of the excellent color commentator Greg Olsen, who was benched by Fox in favor of Brady to serve as analyst during the Super Bowl on Sunday.
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Brady's work with the Raiders hasn't taken a backseat, despite his protest that "My ownership interests is just much more of a long-term, kind of behind-the-scenes type role."
The franchise made a splashy hire in veteran coach Pete Carroll, poached respected executive Mark Thewes from the division rival Denver Broncos as senior vice president of football operations and reeled in Chip Kelly from Ohio State as offensive coordinator.
"I am there to support the team and leadership and the overall vision of success," Brady said. "It is something I hope a lot of other players get the opportunity to do. I want the game to continue to grow and continue to improve and get better. Whatever role I can play in that, I am really excited to do that."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters Monday that Brady checked in with league officials periodically during the season to get feedback on how he and the league were handling the perceived conflict of interest.
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Goodell relaxed the rule prohibiting Brady from participating in production meetings for the Super Bowl. He's been allowed to attending meetings with the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles, although he's still barred from watching practices.
Although his knowledge of the game is unquestioned, Brady has been criticized for not being tough enough on players who make mistakes during games. He said he's thinking more about viewers than players.
"It’s interesting because you don’t want to go on air and be overly critical because it’s not fun for the viewer," he said. "I don’t think to take a negative critique is the way I view the game. We’re viewing athletes at the highest level of what they do. You’re never really insulting the player. You’re insulting the play or the decision. I have tremendous amount of respect for anybody that suits up in uniform and goes out there to play because they’re putting a lot on the line.
"At the same time there are things I have been critical of that I’m not afraid to kind of speak my honest opinion about as soon as I see it. I want to be very fair. I want to be very transparent. I have a great commitment to integrity. I take that very seriously in this role."
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As for preparing for Super Bowl 59, Brady said Fox already shot his interview with Patrick Mahomes that will air in the pregame show. He emphasizes that any accolades Mahomes gets are well-deserved.
"I said to him, 'Look, there is nobody that would be more happy for you than me if you go out and you do something that no other team in history has ever done and no other quarterbacks ever done,'" Brady said. "Because I love seeing other people achieve great things. Anything that Patrick is doing I don’t believe will ever detract from what I accomplished in my career."
Now Brady has dual careers that he's trying to make sure don't become dueling careers.
"I think part of the experience of life is challenging yourself and getting outside your comfort zone to experience new things," he said, "where it can be more of a transformational experience for you."
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
