Patriots Great Joins Tom Brady in NFL Team Ownership

New England Patriots Hall of Famer turned part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders? Stop me if you've heard this one before.

Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Richard Seymour, who played eight seasons with the Patriots, is "close to finalizing a deal to become an owner and limited partner of the Raiders". Pats legend Tom Brady and Richard Seymour won three Super Bowls together in New England. Now, they are aiming to chase more Lombardi Trophies together as part-owners of the Raiders.

Brady and Las Vegas owner Mark Davis agreed to allow Brady to become a minority owner of the franchise in May 2023, but his bid for ownership has hit several hurdles.

Brady's ownership of the Raiders has yet to be approved by NFL owners. Reportedly, the deal was delayed due to initial concerns that Davis had offered Brady a "discount", which other owners were understandably not on board with as it would dilute value. Per Florio, the joint Brady-Seymour bid is "expected to resolve most of the concerns about Brady’s bid". Together, Brady and Seymour's control of the team amounts to a 10.4 percent stake.

An additional potential detriment to Brady's bid is his new role as a broadcaster for Fox. There were concerns about Brady owning the Raiders while attending practices and meetings of teams playing the Raiders. Florio reported that "parameters" have been drawn up to address these concerns.

For the Brady-Seymour ownership bid to be approved, three-fourths of NFL owners (24 votes) must approve the transaction. In March, commissioner Roger Goodell stated that he believed that Brady's bid was "making progress" despite its obstacles.

Seymour was drafted sixth overall by New England in 2001 and played eight seasons in Foxborough. He compiled quite the list of accolades in a Patriots uniform, culminating in an induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022. Seymour was a four-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler with New England. He was named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, as well as the New England Patriots 50th Anniversary and All-Dynasty Team.

Seymour was traded to the then-Oakland Raiders in September 2009 in exchange for a first-round pick. He spent the final four years of his career with the franchise that he has now bid to own.

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