Tom Brady, the famous quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is set to lose 35.4% of his wild–card round paycheck after he was fined by the NFL for an illegal tackle he attempted during their 31–14 loss to Dallas Cowboys. The 45-year-old star was fined a total of $16,444 for the attempted slide tackle of Cowboys safety, Malik Hooker.
The incident took place in the third quarter when Buccaneers wide receiver, Chris Godwin fumbled the ball. Though the fumble was called off by the officiating crew, the tackle was still deemed illegal by the NFL, and Brady was fined for the same. This fine was greater than the usual $11,139 as it was Brady‘s second such offense in the season, the first being an attempt to kick Falcons pass rusher, Grady Jarrett.
It was also the third time in Brady‘s career that he received a fine for a similar offense, the first being in the AFC Championship game in January 2013 when he was fined $10,000 for kicking Ed Reed. His center, Ryan Jensen was also fined $8,333 for unnecessary roughness during the same play.
— Melo Trimble (@MeloTrimbleStan) January 17, 2023
The fine comes at a time when Brady‘s future with the Buccaneers looks uncertain as several of his teammates have expressed they don‘t see him returning to the team in 2023. Brady‘s close friend, Julian Edelman, also seems to agree with the sentiment.
The fine, therefore, may be Brady‘s parting gift from the Buccaneers, though it‘s still too early to say for sure. After all, this is the man who has brought the team to Super Bowl seven times and it must be difficult for them to let him go. Nonetheless, the NFL‘s decision to fine him clearly stands and it serves as a reminder that the rules of the game exist for a reason.
