Tom Brady’s $110m Raiders stake more than quadruples as Fernando Mendoza plan takes center stage

Tom Brady had big plans when he bought in to the Las Vegas Raiders. It hasn’t all been plain sailing in Sin City as Brady is already onto his second head coach since his $110 million investment was ratified just over two years ago. Raiders owner Mark Davis remains the man at the top, but Brady’s 5% stake has been enough to give him a huge say in how the team operates. Brady cleared enough hurdles more than a year on from his initial interest for a $220 million deal to be accepted by league owners, giving him and Tom Wagner a 10% share of the team in October 2024. Pete Carroll’s hire as head coach was the team’s first significant appointment following the deal, although that went south after one 3-14 season landed them with the first overall pick of the NFL Draft. Klint Kubiak’s appointment as HC followed, and the selection of Mendoza in April’s draft had Brady’s fingerprints all over them. Headlines on the field center on Brady’s old position as Kirk Cousins’ trade to the Minnesota Vikings at the trade deadline on Tuesday clears the way for No 1 pick Fernando Mendoza’s first start at quarterback. However, success on the field has been hard to come by, and this year looks to be heading the same way after a promising start. But Brady – who still finds his position as part of ownership at odds with his duties as a broadcaster – can at least count on a snowballing fortune from his initial nine-figure outlay. Just 24 hours after pulling out of English Football League club Birmingham City , his investment in the Raiders has increased by more than five times its initial worth. Forbes most recent valuation of NFL teams puts the Raiders value at $10.3 billion, up from $6.7 billion when Brady joined ownership, which puts his 10% at $515 million. His own $500 million personal fortune has skyrocketed over the years , with a $375 million 10-year deal in place as Fox’s No 1 color analyst among a huge portfolio of investments, that also includes a stake in the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces. But it is his investment in the Raiders that is likely to continue climbing as the NFL’s global profile soars. The Raiders looked on as nine international games have taken place this year, with plans to move towards a full 16-game overseas schedule. New broadcast deals are expected to exceed the current $110 billion deals in place until 2033 with a host of broadcast partners, most notably the increasing presence of streamers Amazon and Netflix. And the tantalizing prospect of expanision, either within the US or overseas, remains a possibility. Commissioner Roger Goodell is likely to be watching the NBA closely as a deal for a new team in Las Vegas is likely to bring in $10 billion for ownership, with an $8 billion deal expected to follow in Seattle or Mexico City. Fernando Mendoza takes over as QB1 Attention in the desert will now turn to Brady’s masterplan at quarterback as first overall pick Mendoza takes over the starting role. NFL's Greatest...... Ranking the top 10...... Quarterbacks of all-time – Can anyone better Tom Brady? Wide receivers of all-time – Does Randy Moss or Jerry Rice come out on top? Running backs of all-time – Stacking Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith and more Tight ends of all-time – How does Travis Kelce compare? Nine games into the NFL season and seven months on from being selected in Pittsburgh, Mendoza has the wheels after Cousins returned to Minnesota. Seven-time Super Bowl champion Brady, widely regarded as the greatest quarterback of all time , has long felt rookie quarterbacks are thrown in too early. Much in the same way he did behind Drew Bledsoe , Brady believes they need time to learn and understand the league. After wining their opening three games, the Raiders have now lost five of their last six and attention is turning to laying the groundwork for Mendoza to become the face of the franchise. His first test comes on Sunday when the Seattle Seahawks and their Super Bowl winning defense are at Allegiant Stadium. Sign up for talkSPORT Stateside , the YouTube channel dedicated to passionate. US Sports fans. Will Gavin, Brian T. Smith, former NFL star Efe Obada and a collection of special guests debate the biggest talking points across the NFL, soccer, NBA and more.