Tom Brady could be in hot water with the NFL for his comments about Brian Branch’s controversial ejection during Detroit Lions vs Green Bay Packers.
Brady is not allowed to publicly criticize NFL referees in his work as an analyst for Fox because he is also a part-owner of Las Vegas Raiders.
The rules were struck up and agreed with Brady and the league last month as his stake in the franchise was finally approved after months of debate and scrutiny.
But Brady, who has a $375million, 10-year deal with Fox to call NFL games, appeared to break that agreement on Sunday afternoon.
‘I don’t love that call at all,’ Brady said. ‘Obviously it’s a penalty but to me, that has to be serious intent in a game like this.’
“I don’t love that call at all. I mean, obviously, it’s a penalty, but, to me, that has to be serious intent in a game like this.”
Is Tom Brady allowed to say that? pic.twitter.com/FOVEuLWJFV
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing)November 3, 2024
Branch was ejected after hitting Packers receiver Bo Melton in the head on an incomplete pass.
He was flagged for unnecessary roughness before the league’s offices in New York reviewed the play and intervened, telling the referee Branch should be ejected.
Branch was furious and was clearly angry as he left the field, with the scenes prompting Brady to offer his view of what happened.
Last week, Brady was slammed for describing Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen as ‘a spaz’ live on air.
Brady said: ‘Sometimes he played like a spaz, like a grade-schooler on a sugar high, but now he’s controlled the chaos. He’s like a storm coming into town and you don’t want that storm coming into this town.’
The latest incident marks another difficult moment for Brady in a week where his supermodel ex-wife Gisele Bundchen announced she was pregnant at 44 with her jiu-jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente.
Brady, 47, seemed to react to the news with a cryptic post on Instagram.
‘Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?’ Brady wrote alongside a photo of the setting sun. The words, posted to Instagram on Monday night, are lyrics from the Fleetwood Mac song ‘Landslide’. The 1975 hit was later covered by The Chicks.
Brady added audio over the story, with users hearing: ‘Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love? Can the child within my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?’
Brady and Bundchen were married for 13 years before calling it quits in October 2022. Shortly after the divorce, Bundchen began dating Valente, who was in the picture as her instructor during her marriage.
The supermodel denied cheating allegations following their split.
Their divorce also came after Brady retracted his initial retirement from the NFL to return for one more season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
As well as having to hold back from criticizing officials, Brady is also banned from visiting another team’s facility and witness practice, and is not allowed to attend broadcast production meetings in any capacity.
It has overall been a difficult start for Brady and his career as a broadcaster, despite being the best NFL player in history in the eyes of many.
On Week One, he was roundly criticized for his calling. A source close to Brady and Fox told DailyMail.Com that there were no long-term concerns over Brady’s ability to make the transition into the broadcasting booth.
But since then, his role as a Raiders co-owner unquestionably makes life harder for him. The NFL has been contacted for comment about Brady’s words.
