The quarterback with a statue outside the stadium returned for the first time to call a game in his capacity as a broadcaster for Fox. (And also to keep his eyes and ears open in his capacity as an owner of the Raiders.)

After the Packers blew out the Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady made an observation about the current Patriots quarterback.

“There was some deli meat given out by Drake Maye today,” Brady said to Packers safety Evan Williams in a post-game interview.

Replied Williams: “I’m not gonna say that, but he was giving us some gifts, for sure.”

It was funny and light-hearted. And, frankly, not inaccurate.

The “deli meat” insult has recently become a thing. After the Rams’ Week 8 win over the Chargers, Rams safety Quentin Lake said Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was throwing “deli meat.” Lake later apologized.

More generally, the comments highlight one of the basic realities of Brady calling NFL games while owning a piece of the Raiders. To date, he hasn’t called a Raiders game. One of these days, he likely will.

What if Fernando Mendoza gives out “deli meat”? What if the head coach makes a questionable decision? What if any of the Raiders players do something that would invite scrutiny and/or criticism?

For now, Fox and the NFL can stickhandle the scheduling to keep Brady out of the delicate spot of working a Raiders game. It would become unavoidable only if the Raiders make it to the Super Bowl in a year that Fox will be broadcasting the game.

That’s a very narrow needle to thread. Especially since the Raiders have only been to the playoffs twice since 2002 — and haven’t won a postseason game since then.