(Video) Tom Brady calls out referees for unnecessary OPI on AJ Brown in Super Bowl
Former NFL quarterback turned FOX announcer Tom Brady could not believe the referee gave an Offensive Pass Interference on AJ Brown after his hand hit Chiefs defender.
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Tom Brady baffled by OPI call on AJ Brown (Image via IMAGO/X)
Just days after Tom Brady shut down the ‘NFL referee favor the Chiefs’ theory, the former quarterback lashed out at a judgment call that he thought was unnecessary during Super Bowl LIX. Brady wanted the referee to keep the play rolling instead of awarding a penalty.
In the early moments of Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans, the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts aimed a pass at AJ Brown. After catching the ball, Brown went out of bounds.
However, the sideline referee present on the scene threw a penalty flag. Brown was adjudged to have committed an offensive pass interference foul.
The replay showed Kansas City Chiefs Trent McDuffie shadowing Brown, whose left paw grazed the defensive back’s facemask before the Eagles receiver caught the ball. The referee decided it was evidence enough to throw a penalty flag.
Tom Brady, who was in the FOX booth covering the Super Bowl alongside Kevin Burkhardt, did not like the call very much.
Let the players play. I don’t like that call.
Tom Brady can be heard saying
This was called OPI on AJ Brown. Oh boy. pic.twitter.com/TtLpfncAjU
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 9, 2025
The Eagles were forced to punt the ball. Chiefs wide receiver/return specialist Niko Remigio added a 12-yard return.
Tom Brady dismissed any theory of the NFL referee favoring the Chiefs
Brady is a 7x Super Bowl winner who has seen and experienced it all in the game of football—bad refereeing decisions were certainly part of that menu. The NFL made changes to the games, keeping the former Patriots and Buccaneers player in mind, ensuring the safety of the quarterbacks.
The Chiefs had begun to make a name for themselves during his twilight years in Tampa. When he retired, Patrick Mahomes had taken up the mantle of the next big and possibly the future GOAT of football.
Three Super Bowl wins in five years immortalized Mahomes and established the Chiefs dynasty. However, fans began to complain about the NFL referees giving favorable calls to the Chiefs to keep them and Mahomes as their poster child. Some even argued the frequent refereeing mistakes decided several outcomes, and it became prevalent after Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce started dating pop icon Taylor Swift.
Tom Brady didn’t like the theory one bit. In a recent interview on FOX, the 47-year-old claimed the theory was ‘BS.’
I think it’s just all BS, a bunch of noise. These refs have very challenging jobs to do… They got to make decisions in a split second, and they’re gonna call what they see. These guys are some of the most professional people on the field. They just want to do a good job like everyone else. Sometimes the calls go your way, sometimes they don’t.
Tom Brady said (H/T: Daily Mail.com)
And just a few days later, Brady was heard criticizing the referee during live coverage. Perhaps the statements during the interview slipped his mind.
Related: Derrick Henry doesn’t want either Chiefs or Eagles to win Super Bowl LIX
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Ishan Misra
(3149 Articles Published)