After the loss, Brady didn’t shake hands with Nick Foles. Cameras caught him slipping away, silent, head down. The move that stirred controversy, though it was not entirely out of character after tough losses. The scoreboard read 41–33. The Eagles had done the unthinkable—toppled the mighty Patriots on football’s biggest stage. Nearly a decade later, the scars still show. Brady has admitted that night left “mental scars” he still carries years later. And the Eagles? They haven’t let it go. That’s a legend now. Even casual golf outings somehow circle back to that play. It’s like beating Brady gave the win extra weight and made it “better.” Now, it’s something worth framing forever. For all the rings and records, this was one moment Brady couldn’t rewrite. And Philly’s made sure he never forgets it.

Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis was supposed to follow the usual script. The Patriots, 13–3 and making their tenth Super Bowl appearance, had the league MVP in 40-year-old Tom Brady. The Eagles had lost Carson Wentz weeks earlier. Nick Foles wasn’t expected to keep pace. But from the opening kickoff, nothing about the night felt familiar. For Brady, the defining moment didn’t come at the end, when his final Hail Mary hit the turf. It came in the second quarter. New England dialed up a trick play—White to Amendola, Brady sneaking into open space like a tight end slipping off a block. The ball came in high, but catchable. He stretched. It hit his fingertips. And fell.

A catchable drop. Just a few inches short—but enough to tilt history. Had he hauled it in, maybe the game would revert to form. Maybe that night would have ended with another ring. Instead, it became a turning point. Brady never blamed the throw or the play call. But years later, the miss still lingers.

In a recent YouTube short, Stefen Wisniewski and Landon Tengwall were seen lounging on a golf course. Clubs in hand. The two former linemen trade stories from their playing days. Tengwall, now retired due to injury, leans in with a grin. Then he drops the line that hangs in the air like a mic drop—“Yeah but but when you beat Tom Brady it’s it’s that much better.”

Not every player gets to say that. Brady wasn’t just another quarterback. He was the quarterback. The Patriots’ crown jewel. But Wisniewski, the 2 times Super Bowl Champion, can say it with pride. He cracks a smile and adds, “That made it so much better. It would have been fun anyway.” The win meant more than a trophy. It meant breaking a curse. For Wisniewski, the fans’ emotion said it all. “Felt like I was a doctor who saved their child from a disease,” he said. “Like I cured the disease… like they were waiting their whole life… just the most genuine thank you.” The city had waited decades. That night, they exploded. Wisniewski could feel it. He played ten NFL seasons. Started with the Raiders. Moved through five teams. But that win in Philly? That was the one.

Even years later, Wisniewski remains a fan favorite. In October 2022, he returned to Lincoln Financial Field as an honorary captain. The Eagles won that day, too. Brady moved on. The Patriots won the next year. Then he went to Tampa Bay and won again, proving yet again that age, system, and doubt didn’t apply to him. But that night in Minneapolis never really faded. For all the rings and records, for all the orchestrated comebacks and legacy-cementing drives, Super Bowl LII remains an open wound.

But, apparently, Stefen Wisniewski isn’t the only one talking about the Super Bowl. The G.O.A.T., too, isn’t over it.

How Stefen Wisniewski added to Tom Brady’s mental scars

“That’s a lot of mental scar tissue from that year,” Brady admitted. “That was a tough game.” The loss still lingers. When asked about the game in an interview, Brady said, “You assume I’m over it? Come on now.” He wasn’t joking. That Super Bowl LII left a bruise that never really healed.

The Patriots entered that game with a 13–3 record, at the top of the AFC. It was their tenth Super Bowl appearance, and third in four years. Bill Belichick ran the sidelines. Brady, the MVP, was poised to win again. But the Eagles pulled off a 41–33 upset. And it didn’t feel like a fluke.

The Eagles matched Brady blow for blow. One crucial fumble deep in New England territory sealed the game. A late field goal put Philly up by eight with just over a minute to go. Brady’s final Hail Mary sailed into the end zone—and hit the turf.

“They deserved it that year,” Brady said.

That night belonged to Nick Foles. He completed 28 of 43 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns. He even caught a touchdown on the now-legendary Philly Special. The Patriots, despite setting a Super Bowl record for fewest punts, couldn’t stop him. Foles was electric.

Brady tried to find the silver lining. “In a lot of ways, we learned from that year,” he said. “And we came back stronger the next year. We won the Super Bowl in ’18.” Maybe so. But ask anyone who watched that 2017 game or played in it. Super Bowl LII isn’t forgotten. Not in New England. Not in Philly. And definitely not by Tom Brady.