Tom Brady’s decision to stay neutral in Super Bowl LX has stirred up more than a few emotions inside the Patriots locker room-and beyond it.
Brady, who built a dynasty in New England with six Super Bowl rings over two decades, recently said on the Let’s Go! podcast that he won’t be rooting for either team when the Patriots face the Seattle Seahawks on February 8.
“I don't have a dog in the fight in this one. May the best team win,” Brady said.
That comment didn’t sit well with some of his former teammates-especially those who stood beside him during the Patriots’ glory years.
Vince Wilfork, the longtime anchor of New England’s defensive line and a key figure during multiple Super Bowl runs, didn’t hold back. Speaking on WEEI, Wilfork challenged Brady’s neutrality and questioned why the former quarterback wouldn’t back the team where he made his legacy.
"That's bullcrap, Tom," Wilfork said. "This ain't political.
It ain't political, what it is. Raiders ain't in it.
Say what it is, what you see."
Wilfork’s point hits a nerve. Brady is now a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders and a broadcaster for FOX, which might explain his attempt to remain impartial. But to Wilfork, that doesn’t excuse what he sees as a lack of loyalty.
"At the end of the day, if you're a Patriot for life, you know what it is," Wilfork added. "Don't give me that political bullcrap.
That's just what it is. If you don't think we're gonna win, just pick Seattle then."
Wilfork wasn’t alone in feeling disappointed. Former Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel, never one to shy away from speaking his mind, said he was “highly disappointed” in Brady’s stance.
Even current players are chiming in. Linebacker Robert Spillane, who’s become a vocal leader on New England’s defense, didn’t mince words when asked about Brady’s comments.
“Personally, it makes me sick,” Spillane said Thursday.
It’s rare to see this kind of public pushback from a locker room toward a franchise legend, but in New England, Brady isn’t just a former player-he’s the player. He’s the face of a two-decade run that defined the Patriots’ identity. So when he distances himself from that legacy, it understandably strikes a chord.
Still, not everyone in Foxborough sees it as a betrayal.
Star wide receiver Stefon Diggs offered a more measured take, pointing out that it’s not uncommon for retired players to step back from team allegiances once they move into new roles.
“Does Tony Romo still pull for the Cowboys? I’d be surprised,” Diggs said Thursday.
“Peyton Manning still loves Denver. I don’t hear him say too much about the Colts.”
It’s a fair point. Brady’s post-playing career has taken him into ownership and broadcasting-two roles that demand a certain level of neutrality. But that doesn’t mean fans and former teammates won’t still expect a little more red, white, and blue in his corner when the Patriots are on the sport’s biggest stage.
And then there’s Rob Gronkowski, Brady’s longtime partner-in-crime and four-time Super Bowl co-champion. Gronk, as always, brought a different kind of energy to the conversation.
“He probably wants to be the quarterback,” Gronkowski joked this week on Up & Adams. “He’s that competitive. He probably wants to be the guy in the Super Bowl right now.”
That might be the most relatable take of all. Brady built his career on being the ultimate competitor.
Maybe staying neutral isn’t about politics or ownership-it’s about not being in the arena anymore. And for a guy like Brady, that’s probably the hardest part.
Still, with the Patriots on the cusp of another title, the expectation-fair or not-is that the man who helped build the dynasty would be in their corner. Whether that’s realistic or not, it’s clear the emotional ties between Brady and New England haven’t faded. If anything, they’re still as strong-and as complicated-as ever.