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Tom Brady Facing Backlash for What He Said During the Super Bowl

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Feb 9, 2025 7:57 PM ET

Former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has experienced his share of growing pains in his first season as the lead analyst of Fox’s NFL broadcast crew.

As a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, he’s also been a bit more restricted in what he can say and do than the typical broadcaster.

As part of his ownership agreement with the league, Brady had some restrictions placed on him by the other 31 owners with his new role, and he challenged the limits of those restrictions earlier in the season when he criticized NFL officials for ejecting Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch from a game following a questionable penalty.

Brady pushed those limits again in Sunday’s Super Bowl 59 matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles when in the first quarter he openly criticized the NFL officials after they called a flag on Eagles receiver A.J. Brown for offensive pass interference that negated what would have been a 32-yard gain on a fourth-and-2 from the 50.

“Let the players play; I don’t like that call,” Brady said.

Tom Brady criticized the refs: "Let the players play. I don't like that call." https://t.co/ScCckG1D9H
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 9, 2025

Former NFL VP of officiating Mike Pereira agreed with Brady’s assessment, stating he didn’t see anything should have necessitated a flag being thrown, but fans took exception on social media with the criticism coming from Brady.

Some fans were quick to point out that Brady clearly violated the terms of his broadcasting contract that prohibit him from criticizing referees, while others underscored the hypocrisy of him complaining about questionable calls given he was the beneficiary of quite a few during his playing career.

“I thought part of his contract with Fox said he couldn’t criticize the refs/coaches?” one fan asked.

“Can an owner criticize the refs?” questioned another.

“Why's he criticizing his former teammates?” another fan chimed in.

“I mean he wants to keep his goat title of course he’s going for the Eagles,” remarked one user.

“Ironically Brady made a career off calls like this. But I digress,” another user added.

“As if he didn't benefit from hundreds of questionable calls in his career,” declared one fan.

It’s likely that Brady won’t face any punishment from the NFL considering what happened the last time he criticized officials in Week 9 when he was given a minor slap on the wrist.

“The NFL had ‘no issue’ with his comments, according to [a] source,” Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports reported. “Brady won’t be fined. The NFL generally issues five-figure fines for first-time offenders who criticize refs, though it depends on the situation.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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