Is Tom Brady the Sorest Loser Of All Time?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady reacts after throwing an interception against the Rams.

Nov. 24, 2020 1:16 PM PT

Tom Brady is considered by many to be the Greatest Of All Time.

But is the GOAT also the SLOAT (Sorest Loser Of All Time)?

It certainly seems that way following his latest apparent snub of an opposing quarterback following a loss.

After the Rams’ 27-24 win over the Bucs on “Monday Night Football,” the ESPN cameras showed Los Angeles quarterback Jared Goff heading toward midfield, where QBs usually meet after games for a handshake and possibly a brief chat.

Brady, though, was shown trudging off in a different direction, most likely the locker room. The broadcast then cut back to Goff, who appeared to wait at midfield for a second or two before heading off the field.

A similar scene unfolded last month when Brady didn’t bother to shake hands with Chicago Bears quarterback Nick Foles following a 20-19 Bucs loss on “Thursday Night Football.”

So maybe the six-time Super Bowl champion was being extra cautious because of the COVID-19 pandemic? Sure, it’s possible. Brady didn’t seem to be concerned about the infection risk at other points this season, shaking hands with Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert after a win and old pals Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers and Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints after losses.

Brady wasn’t asked about the handshake, or lack thereof, after the Rams game. But he offered this explanation a couple weeks after the apparent Foles snub.

“I didn’t even think about that,” Brady told the Tampa Bay Times. “I think Nick Foles is a hell of a player and a Super Bowl champ. I don’t know one reason or another why I wouldn’t do that. Sometimes I run off the field, sometimes I haven’t. Sometimes if I have a personal relationship, like I have with Drew and Justin and Aaron over the years … I don’t know, I don’t think it’s anything particular other than I have great admiration for Nick and I think he’s a hell of a player.”

This behavior isn’t new for Brady. He famously snubbed Foles following the Eagles’ Super Bowl win over Brady and the Patriots in 2018 and did the same to New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning following Patriots Super Bowl losses in 2008 and 2012.

And he somehow hasn’t had a problem meeting at midfield with Goff after games that Brady’s team has won, including Super Bowl LIII.