Following Sunday's 35-7 loss to the 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady broke his own vow to never sign a football by an opposing player who had intercepted him.
San Francisco's Dre Greenlaw intercepted Brady during the blowout victory and asked the seven-time Super Bowl champion to autograph the football.
Brady agreed, and the post-game moment went viral:
Respect.
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 12, 2022
Dre Greenlaw picked off Tom Brady tonight...and now he's signing that ball for him. pic.twitter.com/qh69Vlnjjy
Class act ✍️ pic.twitter.com/sw7Egm9vYs
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 12, 2022
Per Christopher Scarglato of the New York Post, Greenlaw told reporters shortly after the win that he approached Brady "like a little fan" before players entered their locker rooms.
"The worst thing he could tell me was no," Greenlaw added. "I was always told, you don’t ask, you never know. He’s a good guy to sign that ball after he threw those picks...I appreciate it. He’s the greatest. He’s the G.O.A.T. I appreciate that."
As shared by Wajih AlBaroudi of CBS Sports, Brady signed a football intercepted by New York Jets cornerback Brandin Echols following a regular-season game between the Bucs and Gang Green last January.
Brady explained during his "Let's Go!" SiriusXM show and podcast that he wouldn't be granting similar requests.
"I don't necessarily like signing mistakes, let me just say that," the 45-year-old said at that time. "So, that's the last time I'm going to do that. I know it is the season of giving. I don't plan on giving any more gifts to people for that, either."
For whatever reasons, Brady experienced a change of heart. He and the 6-7 Buccaneers host the 9-4 Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!