Most expected Tom Brady breaking the NFL passing record in his home stadium of 20 years to lead to a big celebration.
That didn't happen on Sunday night...here's why.
NFL Network's Albert Breer reports Brady, his former team of 20 seasons, the New England Patriots, and his current team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, all agreed that they didn't want their game to stop in recognition of the record-breaking throw, however, the NFL insisted on it.
"So this is a good place to reiterate my note from PGL on @NBCSportsBoston: Neither the Patriots nor the Bucs nor Tom Brady himself wanted the game stopped to recognize the record-breaking throw," Breer tweeted. "The NFL insisted on it. Looked like Brady wasn't interested in playing their game."
Brady immediately called timeout after the record-setting 28-yard throw to Mike Evans and Gillette Stadium posted a congratulatory message on its jumbotron before the Bucs' offensive drive immediately resumed.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion entered Sunday's game -- his first-ever against the Patriots -- just 67 yards shy of Brees' career total.
Last week, the 44-year-old joined Brees as the only other quarterback in NFL history to throw for more than 80,000 yards, finishing the Bucs' 34-27 Week 3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams with 432 yards and a touchdown on 41 of 55 passing, putting his career mark at 80,291 passing yards.
Brees was in attendance for Brady's New England homecoming as part of his obligations to NBC Sports' Sunday Night Football coverage.
"If there's one guy who's going to take this record, it's got to be Tom Brady," Brees said during NBC's pregame coverage. "I've had such an unbelievable relationship with him, it's been highly competitive our first, 15-17 years of our time playing in the NFL playing against each other but we've had some great moments."
Brady was selected by the Patriots at No. 199 overall in the 2000 NFL Draft and led the franchise to six Super Bowls before joining the Buccaneers as a free agent in March 2020, winning his seventh Super Bowl in February 2021.
"I think I have been on the record dozens of times saying there is no quarterback I’d rather have than Tom Brady. I still feel that way," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said of his quarterback of 20 years prior to their matchup.
“I was very lucky to have Tom as quarterback and to coach him,” Belichick added. “He was as good as any coach could ever ask for.”
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