Tom Brady made headlines this week when he was asked about Sunday’s Super Bowl matchup between one of his former teams, the New England Patriots, and the Seattle Seahawks.
Brady was asked to make a prediction, and instead of backing the Patriots — an organization with which he won six Lombardi Trophies — he said he has no “dog in the fight.”
“Look, I don’t have a dog in the fight in this one,” Brady said. “May the best team win. And in terms of the Patriots, this is a new chapter in New England. And I’m glad everyone has embraced the Mike Vrabel regime, all the amazing players that have worked so hard to get their club to this position. We did it for 20 years. There was a little bit of a hiatus in there, but the Patriots are back and it’s a very exciting time for everyone in New England.”
These comments sparked significant backlash — not just from NFL fans. Brady was publicly called out by two of his former Patriots teammates, Asante Samuel and Vince Wilfork, who took issue with his lack of support for New England.
“Tom Brady, I am highly — I mean highly — disappointed in you not rooting for your ex‑teammate, Mike Vrabel, who is about to do something special,” Samuel said. “I’m going to fye your [expletive] up one of these mornings. Tag Brady, let him know I’m on his [expletive].”
“Brady, you can’t be the only one winning Super Bowls,” Samuel added. “Let me find out you hating on Drake Maye and Vrabel. ‘I don’t have a dog in this fight’ — not what I wanted to hear. Brady knows how I get down. This ain’t nothing new to him.”
Wilfork appeared on WEEI 93.7 and made it clear why he believes Brady should be supporting the Patriots, despite any potential conflicts of interest, such as Brady working for Fox Sports as a broadcaster and being a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
“That’s bull crap, Tom… come on now. This ain’t political… Raiders ain’t in it. Say what it is,” Wilfork said. “At the end of the day if you a Patriot for life, you know what it is. Don’t give me that political bull crap. If you don’t think we’re gonna win, just pick Seattle then. Don’t startle the fence.”
Brady is expected to attend the game in his hometown area of San Francisco — but as a fan, not a broadcaster, because Fox Sports does not hold the broadcast rights to this year’s Super Bowl, with NBC set to air the matchup.