Tom Brady isn’t the only one facing questions about conflict of interest in the broadcast booth. Appearing on the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, CBS color analyst J.J. Watt says teams are showing him the same hesitation, out of fear that he’ll reveal that info to his younger brother and Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt.
“I’ve faced it myself,” J.J. Watt told the show as transcribed by Awful Announcing’s Ben Axelrod. “This week, I’m calling the Steelers-Patriots. Week 1, I called the Jets-Steelers. I think that there might be a little more guardedness there, knowing that my brother’s on the team. Not that I’m going to tell him anything, not that I’m going to give away anything. But different weeks and different teams are definitely giving you different information depending on what’s there.”
Brady created a media firestorm after being spotted in the Las Vegas Raiders owner’s box during Monday night’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. A minority owner of the Raiders, Brady isn’t new to the role after holding it last year. But the juxtaposition of him calling a game Sunday for Fox as the network’s lead color analyst versus him sitting in Mark Davis’ suite drew questions over his dual role.
Though the NFL has restrictions in place for Brady’s ability to interact with other teams, he has access to meetings and interviews with opponents that other owners simply don’t. Not to mention a good working relationship with the Fox broadcast crew who, in theory, could relay information gleaned from their meetings to Brady. Who could, in theory, offer that information back to the Raiders.
J.J. Watt, who moved to color analyst after serving as a 2024 CBS studio co-host, could do the same thing. Of course, there’s no evidence of that happening, and Watt is working hard to be objective when calling his brother’s games. But in a football world full of paranoia, some justified, some not, teams are being extra careful.
It’s one of several lines the NFL is trying to walk. There is a delicate balance between embracing the cash cow that is sports gambling and keeping the integrity of the game. The balance of former players-turned broadcasters and some who become owners is a fact that’s increasingly common. Brady isn’t the only minority owner. Earlier this year, Charles Woodson became a minority owner of the Cleveland Browns. By all indications, Watt is walking the ethical line. Teams just aren’t taking any chances.
