Tom Brady Sr. is stepping in to clear the air after his son faced a wave of criticism from Patriots fans this week. The backlash started when Tom Brady, now a Fox broadcaster and part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, said on his “Let’s Go!” podcast that he had “no dog in the fight” ahead of Sunday’s championship game in Santa Clara.
That comment didn’t sit well with some in New England. Barstool’s Dave Portnoy called him out on social media.
Vince Wilfork labeled the remarks “bullcrap.” Even Rob Gronkowski, Brady’s longtime teammate and close friend, questioned the statement.
For a fanbase that watched Brady deliver six Super Bowl titles in Foxborough, the idea that he wouldn’t be openly pulling for the Patriots felt like a gut punch.
But Brady’s father says there’s more to the story - and it’s rooted in the complex balancing act his son now faces.
Speaking from San Francisco, Tom Brady Sr. explained why his son is trying to walk a fine line. “He’s got several different roles, and he’s got to maintain some level of impartiality,” he said.
“The Patriots have treated him well… but he can’t be going into production meetings next year and having people say, ‘Oh, you’re just a Patriot homer.’ That doesn’t serve him and doesn’t serve Fox very well.”
And that’s the tightrope Brady is walking now. He’s no longer just the face of the Patriots dynasty - he’s a national broadcaster with a massive audience and a business interest in a rival franchise. That means any public allegiance, even one rooted in two decades of history, comes with complications.
Still, Brady Sr. made it clear: the family hasn’t turned its back on New England.
He pointed to an Instagram story his son posted on Friday, backing Patriots owner Robert Kraft. It didn’t make waves like the podcast comment did, but to Brady Sr., it revealed where his son’s heart still lies.
“He wants Robert to win this thing and get his seventh Super Bowl,” he said. “We just kind of enjoy the Super Bowl now and root for the Patriots.
Let’s hope they get another dynasty rolling.”
The elder Brady also addressed some of the chatter about his son’s feelings toward Drake Maye, the highly touted rookie quarterback seen by many as the Patriots’ future. Some have speculated that Brady might be feeling threatened or bitter about the next chapter in New England. Brady Sr. dismissed that outright.
“There’s no resentment,” he said. “His legacy is secure.”
And he’s right. Tom Brady’s legacy in New England - and in the NFL as a whole - is untouchable.
Six rings with the Patriots, a seventh with Tampa Bay, and now a new chapter in the broadcast booth. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to navigate the space between being a legend and being a neutral voice on national television.
So when Brady says he doesn’t have a rooting interest, it’s not about forgetting the past - it’s about managing the present. He’s got a job to do, and that job requires him to play it straight, even if it ruffles a few feathers back in Foxborough.
Still, if you ask his dad, the Brady family will be cheering for New England when the lights go up on Sunday. And if the Patriots are building toward another dynasty, don’t be surprised if the cheers get a little louder.