The Las Vegas Raiders very much appear to be in the Matthew Stafford sweepstakes. Multiple reports have come out that the team is interested in the Los Angeles Rams quarterback.
Minority Tom Brady now finds himself at the center of the rumors. On Wednesday, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz dropped a notable report.
“Sources: Raiders minority owner Tom Brady recently hosted Rams QB Matthew Stafford at his home in Montana, where they spent time together and went skiing,” Schultz wrote on X. “Brady has been actively trying to convince Stafford to join the Raiders, and discussions are ongoing.
“Several teams are interested in Stafford if the Rams decide to move him, with Las Vegas believed to be the most aggressive suitor.”
If true, it’s major that Brady would go so far as to host Stafford at his home. That said, the plot has been thickening. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport followed up on Schultz’s report and said that it was essentially an exaggeration.
“Raiders minority owner Tom Brady and Rams QB Matthew Stafford ran into each other at a ski resort in Montana, sources say,” Rapoport wrote on X.
“The meeting, unplanned, was not extensive or in-depth and did not include Brady ‘hosting’ or ‘recruiting’ Stafford, despite reports saying otherwise.”
Despite Rapoport’s rebuttal, Schultz doubled down on his reporting.
Schultz Stands by Report
It’s unclear how all of this could’ve gotten leaked as it’s not a good look for Brady. He’s an NFL owner now and he’s not supposed to be recruiting players who are on other teams.
Rapoport is one of the most connected reporters in the business but Schultz has a strong track record, as well. Schultz is not backing down from his original report.
“If you really think Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford just happened to run into each other at a ski resort in Montana — of all places — at the exact same time, I’ve got a bridge to sell you,” Schultz wrote on X.
“They were together over the weekend —it happened. Multiple teams are interested in Stafford, and Brady has been leading the charge to get him to the Raiders if the Rams decide to trade him.”
Regardless of who has the most accurate report, Brady is likely going to have to answer to the NFL.
Could Tom Brady Get in Trouble With NFL?
The NFL has very strong tampering rules and if Brady is found guilty of tampering with Stafford, the Raiders could lose draft picks. However, since the Rams gave Stafford permission to seek a trade recently, it’s unclear how the tampering rules apply. Even The Athletic’s Mike Silver is confused by the situation.
“I have questions,” Silver wrote on X. “Would this be tampering? If so, did a Fox employee just report that a very visible Fox employee could be in violation of tampering rules?”
This seems like it could turn into a big issue for the Raiders and Fox. Brady is still very new to NFL ownership so he has some kinks to work out. Perhaps the NFL will give him grace in that regard if he did actually violate tampering rules. This will be a situation to watch, especially if Stafford ends up in Las Vegas.
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