Tom Brady is arguably the greatest quarterback of all time, but the now un-retired Tampa Bay Buccaneer hinted on TikTok Thursday that his career trajectory could have been completely different had a certain call not gone his way in 2002.
In his second year with the New England Patriots, after being drafted in the sixth round, 199th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft, Brady took over the starting job from an injured Drew Bledsoe – one he would never relinquish – and took the Patriots to the Super Bowl to win his first of seven rings.
Yet if it hadn't been for a controversial call on what was believed to be a fumble – and was passed off as the "tuck rule" that favoured Brady under centre stating that he was not attempting a forward-pass motion – the Patriots may have never gotten there.
Hosting the Oakland Raiders in the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs, former University of Michigan teammate Charles Woodson blitzed Brady with 1:50 left to play, causing a fumble that should have essentially ended the game.
However, due to the "tuck rule," the pass was ruled as an incomplete pass instead of a fumble, which resulted in Brady getting the ball back, the Patriots tying the game to force overtime and win, and eventually become one of the greatest dynasties in all of sports.
Brady himself admitted that if it weren't for the ruling, which was abolished in 2014 – today, if a player motions for a forward pass and loses possession, it is ruled a fumble – he would have been the backup heading into the 2002 season, which could have drastically changed his legacy.
Another admission from the game came Thursday from Brady's TikTok account, replying to singer Justin Bieber's TikTok request for people to admit something honest, saying the play “might have been a fumble." He later walked it back a little on Twitter, emphasizing "might."
After leaving New England for Tampa Bay, winning a Super Bowl in a new city, a surprise retirement announcement, and an un-retirement, Brady is still making history heading into the 2022 season, 20 years after the famous incident.
Whether the officials got the call right or not, Brady has proved that Bill Belichick made the right choice keeping him as the starter after the 2001 season.
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