NFL relaxes some of its rules to give Tom Brady more Super Bowl access

Tom Brady will receive a partial Super Bowl-only waiver of the conflict-of-interest rules the NFL put in place when he became a TV analyst for Fox Sports.

Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt told reporters Tuesday that the NFL has relaxed some of the so-called ‘Brady Rules’ it enacted when Brady became a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.

In his first season as a member of Fox’s top NFL broadcast team, Brady was not allowed to visit other teams’ practice facilities, attend meetings or take part in Fox’s pregame production meetings with players and coaches – a policy that was put in place because Hunt and other owners were concerned about the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback having access to inside information from Raiders opponents.

For Super Bowl 59, Brady will be able to join his network colleagues in meetings with the Chiefs.

‘Since he’s doing the game this week, we have no issue with him being in our production meetings,’ Hunt said. ‘He’ll have the access that any broadcaster would have.”

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The Athletic also reports Brady will be able to do the same in meetings with the Eagles, although he will still be prohibited from attending either team’s practices.

During NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s annual pre-Super Bowl news conference he said Brady and the league have been very careful to address any potential problems.

‘Tom has been incredibly cooperative,’ Goodell said. ‘He calls frequently about (the restrictions) and says, ‘Am I doing OK?’ And I think he’s serious about making sure he separates these two (jobs) and doesn’t put the league or anyone in a position of conflict.’

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