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“Tom’s a Buddy, and He’s Going Through Some Stuff”: During Highly Controversial 2015 Suspension, Tom Brady Found Support From His Rival Aaron Rodgers

Published 10/31/2022, 6:15 AM EDT

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Tom Brady is always in the news. Sometimes the reports are excellent and sometimes they are not. In 2015, Brady and the Patriots shook up the NFL world with the Deflategate scandal. One would expect rival quarterbacks and competitors to be upset over the entire saga, but Packers QB Aaron Rodgers had a different reaction.

Super Bowl XLV MVP Rodgers stood in his friend and rival Brady’s support. Rodgers made no comment on whether he thought he was guilty. However, the Green Bay Packers leader hoped for the entire episode to be over and sympathised with former Patriots QB Tom Brady. “Tom’s a buddy, and I’d like to see it get figured out before the season,” said Rodgers.

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Remembering the Tom Brady and Patriots 2015 Deflategate saga

In the 2014 AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots landed themselves in a lot of trouble. Colts inside linebacker D’Qwell Jackson intercepted a Brady pass and shortly afterward, the Colts’ equipment staff found the ball to be severely deflated.

Antonio Brown Had Only Seven Words to Defend Himself for Tearing Down Tom Brady During Divorce With Gisele Bundchen

The NFL suspended Tom Brady for four games and the Patriots paid a hefty $1 million fine for tampering with the integrity of the league. Green Bay no.12 Aaron Rodgers stood up for his friend Brady during this sensitive time and spoke about the pressure of handling the quarterback role. “I think you realize how difficult it is to play the position, the stuff you deal with every single day. You wear a lot of hats, as a leader,” said Rodgers.

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USA Today via Reuters

Even in Brady’s support, 10-time Pro Bowler Aaron Rodgers never misses an opportunity to joke about the entire Deflategate issue. While on a Drone Jeopardy episode, Rodgers held one of the footballs at the 1:15 minute mark and remarked, “This is too firm for the Patriots.” The New England Patriots aren’t strangers to controversies. Bill Belichick’s boys were also part of the alleged SpyGate scandal where they were caught filming the opponent’s defense and cheating.

Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady are not having their best seasons

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Brady successfully returned from the Deflategate saga to win Super Bowl XLIX in 2015 against the Seattle Seahawks in an epic 28-24 showdown. After that, TB12 created all the correct headlines, winning three more Super Bowls in the next 5 years. This good streak came to an end with the strife in his marriage and personal life. Brady and Bundchen finalized their divorce and now the NFL world wants the GOAT to bounce back from this.

Right now, both Rodgers and Brady are in a tough spot. Tom and the Buccaneers are 3-5 in Brady’s worst season start in 20 years. Aaron Rodgers is also struggling without a first-choice wide receiver after Davante Adams left for the Raiders. The Packers are currently 3-4 and sit in second place in the NFC North division.

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The Buccaneers lost to the Packers 12-14 this season, and it’s safe to say that Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady aren’t ruling the NFL right now. But won’t it be exciting to witness these two legendary quarterbacks in the NFC Championship game this year?

WATCH STORY: Aaron Rodgers has his say on friend and former teammate Davante Adams getting into legal trouble

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Written by:

Soumyapriyo Ganguly

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Rivu Ganguly is an NFL writer at Essentially Sports. He holds a degree in Economics and Statistics from the Indian School of Business and Finance. Rivu is a sports nerd with his favourites being Soccer, American Football, Basketball, UFC and Formula 1.
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Edited by:

Gurjyot Singh Dadial