Inside the Allegiant Stadium locker room, Jonah Laulu led Las Vegas in its own Christmas carol. It was the night of December 22 and – according to head coach Antonio Pierce – it was ‘long overdue’.

‘Rai-Ders!’ the defensive tackle belted out, before his teammates repeated the one-word war cry. The most wonderful time of the year. And, as Pierce put it, ‘the best f***ing feeling in the world’.

How the mood had changed from a few days earlier, when the Falcons condemned Las Vegas to a 10th straight loss and any specks of holiday cheer had evaporated from the Raiders locker room.

That’s what one win can do and Las Vegas hasn’t enjoyed many of those in recent times. Victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on December 22 was only the Raiders’ third all season. And the first since Tom Brady was confirmed as a part-owner of the team.

There are, though, two crumbs of comfort for the legendary quarterback: no team can be relegated from the NFL. And, on this side of the pond, it can pay to lose. 

So at least his first season in football ownership is guaranteed to end better than his introduction to soccer.

Earlier this month, Las Vegas ended a long losing streak with victory over the Jaguars

Back in the summer of 2023, the seven-time Super Bowl champion bought into Birmingham City. He became a minority owner and then he joined fans in the pub. A few months later, they dropped into the third tier of English soccer.

The Raiders were 2-4 when, in mid-October, his prolonged bid to join the Las Vegas ownership group was finally approved. 

Since then? Antonio Pierce’s side are 1-8. They boast plenty of talent – including DE Maxx Crosby and rookie tight end Brock Bowers. Heading into their penultimate game against the Saints, however, the 3-12 Raiders sit bottom of the AFC West.

Victory over Jacksonville ended the NFL’s longest active losing streak. But it damaged the Raiders’ chances of landing the No 1 overall pick in next year’s draft – and made Brady’s job a little tougher.

Over in England, the NFL legend owns just 3.3 per cent of Birmingham and his role is a largely ceremonial one. He has no voting rights and no obvious responsibilities beyond attracting easy PR.

In Las Vegas, the 47-year-old’s stake is just 5 per cent. But shortly before the Falcons came to town, Raiders owner Mark Davis confirmed Brady will have a ‘huge voice’ in shaping the future of the team. 

They speak all the time, with Davis recently praising Brady’s competitive spirit, his attention to detail and his communication.

Within half a decade, it’s expected that Brady will live in Las Vegas and run the football side of the franchise.

Brady has a longstanding relationship with Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders

‘Hopefully we can learn lots from (Brady),’ Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson told Mail Sport

As someone put it to Mail Sport? ‘Tom has a loud voice in everything in this organization’. From the ‘toilet paper they’ll buy’ to the players they acquire. There aren’t many NFL legends who have the ear of a billionaire like Brady does with Davis.

‘It’s inspiring to have somebody regarded as the GOAT on your team,’ cornerback Nate Hobbs told Mail Sport after the Falcons game. Kicker Daniel Carlson agreed.

‘It’s great to have him as part of ownership. (He has) a wealth of knowledge and on the players’ side, he just knows how to win championships. So hopefully we can learn lots of things from him.’

There is one massive job at the top of Brady’s to-do list: help select the team’s next quarterback. Aidan O’Connell, Desmond Ridder and Gardner Minshew have all played under center for Las Vegas this season. None has cemented his place as starter.

Where does the answer lie in a draft class headlined by Colorado standout Shedeur Sanders? Will Pierce be in charge to lead this team into the 2025 season? How will Brady’s $375million broadcasting deal with Fox affect his role? Those are some of the questions the NFL legend must ponder heading into the new year.

Two years ago, Brady was supposed to be the Raiders quarterback. Then 45, he came very close to moving to Las Vegas after Derek Carr was let go. 

‘He was coming,’ as one insider put it. But then the move hit a snag – through no fault of the Raiders – and soon the quarterback had retired instead.

The team ended up with Jimmy Garoppolo under center and now Brady in the front office.

The future of coach Antonio Pierce is uncertain after a disappointing season for Las Vegas

Cam Ward (Miami) is another of the promising quarterbacks who will enter the 2025 NFL draft

But some decisions can’t wait that long. Not when the Raiders find themselves in familiar territory – in need of a new quarterback.

Brady’s relationship with Shedeur Sanders dates back to the youngster’s high school days. And then in 2022, before following his father to Colorado, the quarterback signed an NIL deal with Brady’s clothing brand.

No wonder some feel the 47-year-old has ‘backed himself into a corner’ heading into the 2025 draft? Should the opportunity arise, how can Las Vegas not select Sanders -given Brady’s relationship with the young quarterback, given Deion Sanders has publicly urged Pierce to draft both Shedeur and his brother Shilo, given the fans now want him?

Well, many inside the NFL are said to be skeptical that the Colorado star is even worth a first-round pick. Especially when there are other quarterback prospects available such as Cam Ward (Miami) and Dillon Gabriel (Oregon). It’s a ‘very difficult’ balance for Brady to strike.

Las Vegas walks a tightrope with Pierce, too. The players are said to ‘love’ the head coach, despite the team’s dismal record. There is mitigation, of course – this is Pierce’s first full season in charge and his roster has been decimated by injuries. The coach isn’t to blame for his options are quarterback, either.

So Brady must be careful. It was his old offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels who was sacked by Las Vegas before Davis appointed Pierce. More importantly, though? Raiders fans hate the Patriots.

Brady was only in his second season when, in January 2002, the Raiders visited New England for the AFC Divisional playoff game. That day, in a blizzard, the quarterback benefited from – in the league’s own words – ‘one of the most controversial referee’s decisions in NFL history’.

Raiders fans have long disliked the Patriots following an incident involving Brady in 2002 

Davis, the billionaire owner of Las Vegas, is expected to let Brady run the football operation 

With Oakland leading and the clock running down, Brady was sacked. He fumbled the ball and it was recovered by the Raiders. But then the referees ruled incomplete pass ‘because Brady’s arm had been moving forward before he pulled the ball back to his body’. It was known as the ‘tuck rule’.

The Patriots went on to win in overtime before claiming their first of six Super Bowls under Bill Belichick. The ‘tuck rule’ was abolished in 2013 but Raiders fans haven’t forgotten that day.

‘Every time they’ve tried to bring a Patriot way here, it’s failed,’ one insider says. And so the feeling among some NFL owners? If Brady fires a popular coach and he signs a quarterback that doesn’t work out, fans will turn on him.

Of course, Davis backs his plan and his man. The owner visited the locker room following victory over the Jaguars. He wanted to congratulate his players after they finally ended their skid.

‘It’s been 10 pretty tough weeks,’ punter AJ Cole told Mail Sport. Now it’s up to Davis and Brady to ensure they shake this habit for good.

‘I know Mark is doing a great job building a team around him to help him figure out how to win some football games here,’ Carlson said. ‘Because this losing sucks.’