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Tom Brady has enjoyed quite a sensational NFL career. He has won seven Super Bowls and earned phenomenal amounts of money.
However, his reputation with NFL fans has often been mixed, especially before he left the New England Patriots.
It’s natural that the best player will also be disliked by a large number of people. For Brady, there were also several moments that were either controversial or embarrassing.
His career hasn’t always been the flawless interpretation of perfection that it would appear, though. Here are five embarrassing moments Tom Brady would like NFL fans to forget:
1. The Combine Picture
Brady has become one of the most important figures in NFL history. Many have been staggered to see how he looked when he was drafted in the sixth round.
His physique ahead of that draft has become somewhat of a comedic reference point for NFL fans, given how slight the quarterback looked.
It was a picture that portrayed a frail athlete in long boxer shorts and lacking any sort of muscle definition.
While it has been easy to laugh at now, there is no doubt that Brady would rather people forget about the picture, as he has shown with an offer to Elon Musk.
“If you buy Twitter, can you delete the combine photo?”
2. The Tuck Rule Game
Many argued that. if the NFL rules had been followed correctly, there would have been no New England Patriots dynasty and no "Tom Terrific" legacy.
While a somewhat dramatic view, there is no doubt the incident involving the Oakland Raiders and the Tuck Rule call had an impact on the NFL.
After a heavy snowstorm, conditions on the field were far from perfect and with 1:50 left in the game, the QB appeared to be sacked by Charles Woodson.
A fumble was ruled on the field, but upon review, a rule introduced in 1999 was brought into play.
Known as the Tuck Rule, Brady was considered to be throwing a pass, rather than tucking the ball back into his body as the footage had suggested.
New England was given the ball back. The Patriots went on to win the game and kickstart a dynasty.
#3 – Bucs vs Saints 2021
Tom Brady was able to win a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This only furthered his legacy by winning a championship away from Bill Belichick and the Pats.
However, his career in Tampa hasn’t always been him at his glittering best. One match against the New Orleans Saints was considered one of his worst performances as a professional QB.
In a 9-0 defeat, the former Patriot was held scoreless for the first time in 15 years.
The Bucs starter had a pass completion percentage of just 54% on that night. He threw an interception and gave the ball up via a fumble.
It was, perhaps, one of the worst days of Brady's career. He was caught on film throwing a Microsoft tablet to the ground in anger.
It was a performance not befitting of the greatest QB of all time, and he would much rather people forget it.
4. Super Bowl XLII
The 2007 New England Patriots were one game away from joining the 1972 Miami Dolphins in the invincible club.
The Patriots had a 16-0 record in the regular season and progressed all the way through to Super Bowl XLII, where they were heavily favored against the 10-6 New York Giants.
New England built a 14-10 lead going into the final minute of the fourth quarter, only for a scarcely believable catch made by David Tyree to turn the momentum in favor of the Giants.
Brady’s performance of 29/48 passes completed with just one touchdown was forgettable. He regretted not being able to do more to stop an embarrassing defeat, which cost the Pats their shot at immortality.
5. Deflategate
Deflategate will be attached to Brady’s legacy, even if it didn’t necessarily impact the direction of the AFC Championship match against the Indianapolis Colts.
The QB had to do multiple interviews where he denounced suggestions he was involved in the deflation of footballs. His relationship with members of the Pats staff was also called into question.
The veteran was forced to serve a suspension after being found guilty of refusing to cooperate with investigators and withholding knowledge about Patriots employees deflating footballs.
He then went to war with the NFL, appealing his suspension, which was unsuccessful. Many ridiculous stories emerged about the quarterback having a new phone and things of that nature.
It was a long ordeal which called into question the player's sporting ethics and left a bitter taste in a lot of mouths, especially after the Patriots’ signal taping scandal.
It was an ugly incident for Brady, who would have preferred it never to have happened, although it’s unlikely anyone will ever forget.
