Fox broadcaster Tom Brady spent a good chunk of last Sunday’s Green Bay Packers-Detroit Lions game picking apart the officiating crew, and he wasn’t shy about it either.
For most analysts, that wouldn’t be a story. However, Brady isn’t most analysts.
As a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, the seven-time Super Bowl champion works under a set of restrictions, known as the “Brady Rules,” that limit how far he can go when criticizing officials on air.
A first-time violation could reportedly cost him $500,000 under his broadcast agreement. But one week after Brady ripped into the Packers-Lions refs, the NFL seemingly isn’t punishing Brady for breaking the rules.
No NFL Fine Announced for Tom Brady
The NFL released its list of weekly fines on Saturday, and there’s been no announcement of a fine or any other punishment for Brady since the Lions’ 20-17 win at Ford Field.
However, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio hinted the league could’ve disciplined Brady behind the scenes.
“We may never know whether the NFL fined Brady,” Florio wrote on Sunday.
Florio’s assertion may or may not be true, but if Brady was actually fined, it’s hard to believe any of the top NFL insiders wouldn’t have leaked that information.
Front Office Sports’ Ryan Glasspiegel said Fox declined to comment about whether Brady was fined, and the league didn’t immediately respond.
Tom Brady Didn’t Hold Back in His Officiating Criticism
Brady took exception to several calls in the second half of the Packers-Lions game. The one that really set him off was a late roughing-the-passer flag on Packers defensive tackle Karl Brooks, which tacked 15 yards onto a Lions drive.
“Goff standing in the pocket — my goodness, what is that?” Brady exclaimed. “There’s no way. Brooks on the tackle, he just kind of makes a great play. It’s a bang-bang play. He just rolls off his body. It’s a great throw by Goff. That’s definitely not roughing the passer.”
Even Fox rules expert Dean Blandino agreed, calling it a “teach-tape tackle.”
So where’s the line? NFL reporter Mark Maske called the restrictions subjective. But he said the indication has always been that Brady can criticize a call as long as he doesn’t “take it to egregious levels.”
The league has looked the other way before. When Brady questioned Brian Branch’s ejection during a Packers-Lions game in November 2024, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said the concern would be if Brady was “egregiously critical of officiating” or questioned an official’s integrity. He wasn’t punished.
An NFL spokesperson also told FOS earlier this year that there have been “no issues with Tom over the last two seasons.”
Not Everyone Got Off Scot Free
While Brady seemingly wasn’t disciplined for going off on the refs, the same can’t be said for Packers safety Xavier McKinney.
The All-Pro blasted the officials after the loss. He confirmed after Thursday night’s win over the Carolina Panthers that the NFL fined him. He didn’t disclose the amount, but said it wasn’t less than the $25,000 minimum, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.
“I make enough money so I’ll be OK,” McKinney said.
The officiating crew also paid a price, sort of.
Referee Alex Moore’s crew was supposed to work Sunday night’s Philadelphia Eagles-Washington Commanders game.
Instead, the league flexed Shawn Hochuli’s crew into primetime and moved Moore’s crew to Patriots-Dolphins, according to Football Zebras. Officiating sources told the outlet the switch was more about optics than discipline.
NFL Makes Tom Brady Punishment Decision After Controversial Packers-Lions Remarks