Tom Brady’s Patriots Super Bowl Take is Business, Not Personal

In taking a page directly from Mario Puzo's, The Godfather, New England Patriots legend Tom Brady may have channeled his inner Michael Corleone by refusing to take sides with or against the “family” when it comes to rooting interests for Super Bowl LX.

Instead, Brady’s sentiments on the subject prove that when it comes to the gridiron, ‘It’s not personal, it’s strictly business.”

Despite being synonymous with the New England organization for nearly two decades, Brady — now a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders and a Fox Sports analyst — recently astonished the NFL universe by taking a neutral stance on his personal cheering preference for this weekend’s showdown between the Pats and the Seattle Seahawks. In a recent interview with Jim Gray on the “Let’s Go!” podcast, the three-time NFL MVP revealed that he will not exactly be waiving Pats pom-poms this time.

“I don’t have a dog in the fight in this one,” Brady told Gray of the Patriots-Seahawks matchup. “May the best team win … And in terms of the Patriots, this is a new chapter in New England, and I’m glad everyone’s embraced the Mike Vrabel regime, all the amazing players that have worked so hard to get their club to this position.”

As one may imagine, that did not sit so well with Patriots Nation.

After all, a vast majority of Brady’s fans and former teammates simply assumed that his allegiance would reside with the Patriots — the team which drafted him 199th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. Instead, the franchise icon declared neutrality — fueling speculation that he no longer considered himself a part of the Foxborough “famaglia.”

Missing from his thoughts on the 2025 Patriots was a sense of devotion to the owner of said team, who once described Brady as “a member of his immediate family.” There was no hint of camaraderie for the teammates with whom he shared and celebrated six Super Bowl championships, as well as two decades of dominance — the likes of which may never be seen again in professional sports.

Perhaps most surprising was the little-to-no loyalty Brady’s words afforded the legions of fans who invested so much (financially, emotionally and most of all, their time) for the vast majority of his legendary career.

In short, Patriots fans felt jilted….and the local and national media was all too happy to indulge in their scorn.

Tom Brady does not care about the Patriots or their fans.@mikefelger @TonyMassarotti @bigjimmurray @IAmJamesStewart @MaggioreKevin @_JakeSeymour #sponsored #kecheslaw pic.twitter.com/huBcnYVzZv
— 98.5 The Sports Hub (@985TheSportsHub) February 4, 2026

Tom Brady Decided to Remain Impartial for Super Bowl LX

Aug 8, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Retired New England Patriot Hall of Famer Tom Brady speaks during a statue unveiling before a game against the Washington Commanders at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

To say that it came as quite a surprise for Patriots Fans to hear the self-proclaimed “Patriot for life” declare that he did not have a “dog in the hunt” for Super Bowl LX is truly an understatement. Still, it is important for fans to remember that Brady may have his reasons for declaring a neutral ground for this game. Not only is he a current national analyst for an NFC flagship station — a position which demands impartiality — but is also part owner of a prominent AFC franchise.

With the Raiders still in search of a head coach, rumors persist that the ‘silver and black’ are strongly considering Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak for the job. Accordingly, his choosing a cheering section in this game may not only be a bit uncomfortable, but also could be considered bad business.

As a commodity, Brady’s “endorsements” inherently carry greater weight due to his position. In that regard, he stands to incur greater criticism than that of his peers — including the handful of former Patriots players who have publicly voiced their displeasure with Brady’s newfound objectivity. When combined with his standing among the NFL’s immortals, Tom Brady’s opinion is simply held to a higher standard — just as it was when he played the game.

Rooting interests in championship games may be personal for the majority of sports fans throughout the globe. However, for Tom Brady, it is currently all about business. Though it may be tough for some to take, it has to be that way.

Brady will Always Be a New England Patriots Icon

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady — Sunday, February 5, 2017 Houston, TX The New England Patriots vs The Atlanta Falcon at Super Bowl LI, NRG Stadium, Houston, TX Tom Brady celebrates with the Lombardi Trophy after the game. The Providence Journal / Bob Breidenbach | Bob Breidenbach / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

To his credit, Brady (along with team owner Rober Kraft and former coach Bill Belichick) helped to shape New England from a competitive organization to one of professional sports elite franchises. As such, his place among the top of the NFL pantheon has been firmly established. In addition to his role in helping the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles, Brady finished his career with regular-season totals of 12,050 pass attempts for 7,753 completions (64.3 percent), 89,214 passing yards, 649 touchdowns and 212 interceptions.

Brady also dominated the postseason, where he compiled a record of 35-13, as well as a quarterback rating of 89.8. He completed 62.5 percent of his postseason passes for 13,400 yards, 88 passing touchdowns and 40 interceptions. Brady won seven of the ten Super Bowls in which he played, earning the big game’s MVP five times.

In terms of team accolades, Brady was an early inductee into the Patriots Hall of Fame, while also having his iconic number 12 retired. He also holds the unique distinction of having a bronze statue to honor him in the plaza adjacent to Gillette Stadium.

In turn, Patriots fans have shown Brady staunch loyalty throughout his career. Despite being engulfed by a sea of envy in most of the country, Brady is still largely adored in New England; firmly entrenched among the immortal beloveds of New England sports. In fact, he might be the most admired sports figure in the history of a city that has been the home to such icons as Ted Williams, Bobby Orr, Larry Bird, and Bill Russell.

Visions of game-winning drives, improbable comebacks and championship parades are forever a part of the region’s generational memory bank. Prior to his taking the reins as the Patriots starting quarterback in 2001, New England knew little but defeat. Since that time, they have enjoyed unparalleled success.

Presently, the Patriots once again stand on the threshold of hoisting yet another Lombardi trophy. Brady’s former teammate, Mike Vrabel, could become the first former Pats player to lead the team to a Super Bowl victory as a head coach. For the franchise, a win over the Seahawks would give New England a would-be NFL-record seventh league championship.

On that basis, Patriots fans perhaps have the right to believe that they deserved a bit more support than Brady’s latest sentiments revealed.

Yet, it is important to remember that far too much good came from the union between Tom Brady and New England Patriots Nation for semantics to sour an era of unprecedented success. Each side provided the other with a tremendous amount of amazing memories. For anyone making the argument that a temporary rooting interest — which for the record, it neutral, not adversarial — in any way lessens Brady’s fidelity to his Foxborough faithful, take a moment to read his closing remarks made during his Patriots Hall of Fame induction speech. There, you will find the Tom Brady you knew and loved.

“It is the honor of my life to take my place among these other Patriot Hall of Famers, and to be officially enshrined into the winning legacy of this amazing organization,” Brady said in June 2024. “You humble me, you make me proud, and I am eternally grateful. I am Tom Brady, and I am a Patriot.”

On that basis, it should be evident that any perceived slight to the Patriots in their hopes of earning banner No. 7 was not personal. The six banners which currently adorn the Gillette Stadium facade were won by Brady and the Patriots “family.”

The next one, for him, is strictly business — try not to take it “very, very personal.”

Tom Brady, the New England Patriots and Patriots Nation have all meant too much to each other for this to end any other way.

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