The controversy over alleged tampering violations involving Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford rages on after conflicting accounts and denials from Brady’s camp. Now, the NFL has officially weighed in.
The Alleged Meeting Between Brady and Stafford
According to Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports, Brady reportedly hosted Stafford at his residence in Montana, where they spent time together and went skiing.
Schultz suggested that Brady was trying to persuade Stafford to join the Raiders, and conversations were ongoing.
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. Brady has been actively trying to convince Stafford to join the Raiders, and discussions are ongoing.
Several teams are… pic.twitter.com/Jo9xxw2M6e
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) February 26, 2025
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport offered a different perspective, asserting that Brady and Stafford merely ran into each other at a resort in Montana.
He emphasized that the encounter was unplanned and not extensive, contradicting claims of active recruitment.
#Raiders minority owner Tom Brady and #Rams QB Matthew Stafford ran into each other at a ski resort in Montana, sources say.
The meeting, unplanned, was not extensive or in-depth and did not include Brady “hosting” or “recruiting” Stafford, despite reports saying otherwise. pic.twitter.com/eUucyxzxsW
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 26, 2025
Rapoport’s version of the events in question prompted Schultz to double down on his position, quipping, “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.”
In another post on X, Rapoport provided some more context, saying, “Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford, like many other high-profile people, both own houses in the same ski community.”
The back-and-forth snatched the spotlight at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, where Schultz and Rapoport had an altercation in a Starbucks. The overwhelming response from the community, excluding New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans, is that Brady’s shady history casts doubt on claims the meeting with Stafford was unintentional.
FanDuel posted an old clip of Brady getting excited after spotting someone, adding, “Tom Brady seeing Matthew Stafford at the resort.”
Tom Brady seeing Matthew Stafford at the resort: pic.twitter.com/iR4TjTqG0O
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) February 26, 2025
BetMGM jumped in the fray with a photo of Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness from “WandaVision” giving an emphatic wink.
“Tom Brady did not recruit Matthew Stafford by taking him skiing in Montana” pic.twitter.com/B2ZQPSzeS7
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) February 26, 2025
NFL business insider, podcast host, and SI columnist Andrew Brandt weighed in with his skepticism as well, posting a GIF of Jennifer Lawrence sarcastically mouthing, “Okay.”
Matthew Stafford and Tom Brady "ran into each other" at a Montana ski resort. pic.twitter.com/v52VTVatuf
— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) February 26, 2025
Brady’s been in hot water ever since becoming a minority owner of the Raiders due to his somewhat conflicting role as an NFL broadcaster with FOX Sports. A fitting theme song for Brady’s post-playing career within the league would be Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines.”
The surefire Hall of Famer could sport a gold jacket for his navigation of the boundaries and constraints set forth by league policies.
NFL, Tom Brady’s Agent Respond To Tampering Allegations
In response to the growing speculation, Brady’s longtime agent, Don Yee, issued a statement to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Yee categorically denied the reports, saying, “I know that reporters sometimes make mistakes in their haste, but this story’s inaccurate.”
While the Rams have allowed Stafford’s agent to engage in talks with other teams, there has been no official indication that they have granted broad permission for Stafford to meet with coaches, executives, or owners from other organizations.
Raiders beat reporter Vincent Bonsignore posted the league’s response to the tampering allegations on X: “There’s no issue here. The Rams gave the player and his agent permission to speak to the Raiders.”
Skeptics can’t help but think of the meme featuring Police Squad’s fictional cop Frank Drebin standing in front of a house ablaze with exploding fireworks assuring spectators, “Nothing to see here.”
While the NFL isn’t punishing Brady or the Raiders, if it’s confirmed that this meeting was planned, it’s possible that could change.
ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio said he would be “freakin’ pissed” if he was the Rams and said that Brady has a history of “cheating” and has been determined to have “no honor,” yet he’s being expected to “operate on the honor system.”
If the NFL does come after Brady for tampering (for this or other recruitment), the league takes such violations seriously, and any team breaching these regulations could face penalties.
The Raiders could face fines or even lose draft picks. PFSN projects Las Vegas will draft Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders with their first-round pick in Owain Jones’ seven-round mock draft and Joe DeLeone in his first-round mock draft.
The NFL could also suspend team officials and key personnel, including general manager Jon Spytek and Brady, who could be barred from team activities and league meetings for an undetermined time. On top of that, Brady might not be able to participate in league committees, and they could place limits on his involvement with the team.
Stafford and the Rams have been the talk of the town in Indianapolis and across the internet. The Super Bowl champion is one of the biggest dominoes to fall and could substantially alter the league’s fabric for the upcoming season and years to come.
