While Tom Brady is on the record as not having a “dog in the fight” for Super Bowl LX, which pits the Seattle Seahawks against his old team, the New England Patriots, his former teammate has “a big-ass dog” in that fight.
That former teammate is Tedy Bruschi, who won three Super Bowls with Brady as a linebacker, where he joined current Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel in the second level of a relentless New England defense.
“I mean, the last couple weeks on ‘Sunday NFL Countdown,’ I’d just be like ‘put my pick up guys. You know who I’m picking. Put my pick up. Because there’s no other way I’m going.’ I’ve loved the way this team has played. I’ve loved the way they win.”
Bruschi eventually added: “Whatever game they’re in, they know how to win.”
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He isn’t the only former Patriots player who’s reacted strongly to Brady’s impartial approach to the big game.
Vince Wilfork, a two-time Super Bowl champion who starred at defensive tackle for New England from 2004-2014, called Brady’s neutrality “bullcrap” during his visit with WEEI.
“All that political — this ain’t political. It ain’t political, what it is. Raiders ain’t in it,” Wilfork said, alluding to the fact that Brady is as a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
“Say what it is, what you see.”
One of the WEEI hosts argued that if Brady wants to be a “Patriot for life,” he should be rooting for them in Super Bowl LX.
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Wilfork chimed back in.
“At the end of the day, if you a Patriot for life, you know what it is,” he said. “Don’t give me that political bullcrap. … If you don’t think we gonna win, just pick Seattle then. Don’t straddle the fence.”
Former cornerback Asante Samuel also won two Super Bowls with the Patriots, and took to X on Wednesday to say that he’s “highly disappointed” in Brady.
Actually, he said a lot more, too.
In a string of posts, Samuel questioned Brady’s support of not only Vrabel but also Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, called the seven-time Super Bowl champ “Flaw A** Brady” and challenged Brady to respond.
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Former tight end Rob Gronkowski took a more lighthearted approach to the conversation, as he’s wont to do. Gronkowski won four Super Bowls with Brady: three in New England and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I’m rooting for the Patriots,” Gronkowski said during an appearance on “Up & Adams.”
“What’s great about the Patriots being in the Super Bowl is that it shows — it’s bringing back just how dominant the Patriots are.”
He elaborated: “There’s a lot of fans out there that are mad that the Patriots are back in the Super Bowl, which is great for us because that brings back they’re mad because of how many times we won with our dynasty that we are a part of.”
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That dynasty featured six Super Bowl titles over two decades, during which Brady and then-Patriots head coach Bill Belichick dominated the NFL.
So why won’t Brady root for the Patriots on Sunday?
“I don’t know. I’m not Tom. I haven’t talked to him yet since the Patriots have been in the Super Bowl,” Gronkowski said. “He probably wants to be the quarterback. He’s that competitive. He probably wants to be the guy in the Super Bowl right now.”
As for a player who’s part of this year’s Super Bowl, Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane said Thursday that it makes him “sick” hearing that Brady doesn’t have a dog in the fight, as reported by MassLive’s Karen Guregian.
Brady made that comment on Monday during an appearance on the “Let’s Go!” podcast Monday.
“Look, I don’t have a dog in the fight in this one,” he 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.”
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Before that, Brady, 48, talked about how he’s in a “different phase” of his life, where he roots for people and wants to sit back as a fan of the game, enjoy the moment and watch the players decide the outcome.
As a color commentator for Fox Sports, Brady is now trained to view the sport through an objective lens. That said, he isn’t on the call for Super Bowl LX. NBC has the broadcast this time.
It’s worth noting, though, that despite the Raiders not being anywhere close to the big game, they are reportedly set to hire Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as their next head coach.
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Maybe that’s a factor in Brady’s stance on Sunday’s game, an outlook that’s increasingly unpopular in New England and among Patriots players, past and present.
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