Bill Belichick comments on Tom Brady’s influence in Raiders’ hire of Pete Carroll

Bill Belichick, now at North Carolina, expressed happiness for Tom Brady in helping hire Pete Carroll as Raiders head coach.

Bill Belichick comments on Tom Brady’s influence in Raiders’ hire of Pete Carroll

Pete Carroll, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick (Image via IMAGO/X)

Tom Brady’s first choice wasn’t Pete Carroll, but he realized the years of experience he brings in coaching winning teams, and before a team like the Dallas Cowboys could pounce, he made his decision. After a one-year gap, Carroll returned to the NFL as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Usually, general managers call the shots in these situations but the Raiders didn’t have anyone in the position after owner Mark Davis fired Tom Telesco in early January. ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed shortly after that Brady, who became a minority owner in December 2024, was ready to play an active role in finding both head coach and GM.

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Raiders limited owner Tom Brady is expected to be part of a collaborative committee to interview head coaching candidates and support team owner Mark Davis, per league sources.

Adam Schefter said

One candidate that was on Brady’s field’s list of potential head coaching targets was his former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick. In a recent segment of the Pat McAfee Show, Belichick revealed that he was busy in North Carolina, recruiting players for the Tar Heels football team, so when Brady spoke to him about the Raiders, he could not comply.

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McAfee wanted a reaction from Belichick about Brady eventually hiring 73-year-old Pete Carroll, making him the oldest coach to ever manage in the NFL.

Tom Brady is a really smart guy, but I don’t know what would that process was or wasn’t and how that went… Tom does a great job and whatever his involvement was in this hiring I’m sure it was positive.

Bill Belichick replied to Pat McAfee
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Tom Brady appointed a new general manager for the Raiders

The 47-year-old works quickly even though he travels around the country covering games with the FOX crew. Before appointing Carroll, he found the Raiders’ next general manager—John Spytek.

Bill Belichick comments on Tom Brady’s influence in Raiders’ hire of Pete Carroll John Spytek GM Raiders
Tom Brady (Image via IMAGO)

44-year-old Spytek served as the assistant GM at Tampa Bay Buccaneers. According to NFL Network’s Kevin Patra, Brady and Spyetk have been acquainted since their college days in Michigan. Spytek was a freshman outside linebacker during the former quarterback’s senior year with the Wolverines.

Moreover, Spytek was part of the Buccaneers’ setup when Brady won his seventh Super Bowl in Tampa Bay. He is not a newcomer to front-office work. After interning at the Detroit Lions, Spytek served time at the Philadelphia Eagles, next joined the Cleveland Browns scouting department, and spent time as a Denver scout when Peyton Manning lifted the Super Bowl in 2015, eventually becoming part of the Buccaneers’ setup in 2016.

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There are several other positions Brady must sort out before they can compete with the likes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and the Broncos in the division. It starts with a quarterback. Perhaps drafting either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders may be the answer.

Related: Jalen Hurts addresses knee injury ahead of NFC Championship after divisional win over Rams