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Tom Brady came close to crossing the line when he criticized the officials while calling Sunday’s game between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, but it sounds like he did just enough to avoid getting into trouble.
According to Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports, Brady won’t be punished for his comments that were critical of the officials. When he was granted an ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, one of the many stipulations was that he was not allowed to speak negatively about officials during his job as a Fox analyst.
Brady almost broke that rule after Lions safety Brian Branch was ejected from the game for hitting Packers receiver Bo Melton in the head.
“I don’t love that call at all,” Brady said after the decision was made. “Obviously it’s a penalty, but to me, there has to be serious intent in a game like this.”
Still, Schiffer noted that a source said the NFL had “no issue” with Brady’s comments and the legendary former quarterback will not be facing a fine.
NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy explained the league’s thought process in determining that Brady didn’t violate any rules.
“The concern would be if Tom was egregiously critical of officiating or called into question the integrity of an official or the crew,” McCarthy said in a statement. “That did not occur in this instance.”
Brady is still getting used to his new career as a broadcaster, but he’s drawn praise for his growth in his role over the course of the season. The NFL’s decision not to punish him should help make him even more comfortable as he gets closer to calling the Super Bowl for Fox at the end of the season.
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