3 incidents that could tarnish Tom Brady's legacy

Tom Brady is headed for retirement, thus wrapping up arguably the greatest career in NFL history. He played for over two decades and won seven Super Bowls to achieve the title of "the Greatest of All Time" as his career reached its later stages.

Yet one thing that cannot be ignored about Brady is the fact that controversy has followed him throughout his career. Specifically, during his time with the New England Patriots, which featured several scandals, with a few standing out from the rest.

3 incidents that could impact Tom Brady's NFL legacy

Wild Card Round - Tennessee Titans v New England Patriots

#3 - The Tuck Rule Game

He won a Super Bowl during the 2001 season in what was his first year as a starter. Yet his run was filled with controversy because of the infamous "tuck rule" call that took place in the Divisional Round against the Oakland Raiders.

Following a Charles Woodson sack, Brady appeared to fumble the ball late, only for the officials to rule that he was making a forward motion. The Patriots ended up winning the game and the Super Bowl. While this controversial moment was not directly created by Brady, it did begin talk of him having an unfair advantage in the NFL.

New England Patriots v Miami Dolphins

#2 - Spygate

This controversy focused more on Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, yet in this instance his quarterback was ultimately the beneficiary. The story goes that Belichick and the Patriots were caught filming opposing coaches in order to steal their signals and have an advantage on offense.

It led to massive fines and even the loss of draft picks. Brady took some heat for this because by 2007, when the scandal came to light, he had already won three Super Bowls. Was he helped along due to the Patriots stealing signs from the opposition? If so, that would put a damper on the success he had up to that point.

Yet he did go on to win four more Super Bowls, so "Spygate" is mostly focused on the first few years of his NFL dominance.

AFC Championship - Indianapolis Colts v New England Patriots

#1 - Deflategate

Deflategate was one of the most shocking scandals in NFL history. The controversy surrounded Brady knowingly using deflated footballs in the 2014 season's AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts. The final score was 45-7 in favor of the Patriots, but the scandal stayed around for years.

This transgression went all the way through the United States legal system and he was hit with a four-game suspension to begin the 2016 season. The incident is easily the most notable of the legend's entire career. Yet the argument against it being a fullblown scandal was that Brady and the Patriots still blew out the Colts in that game.

However, critics wondered if tampering with the footballs was something Brady often did to gain an unfair advantage in colder weather. Every angle of the story was covered and ultimately the short suspension was all that came of it for the quarterback.