Tom Brady Was Not Actually Dismissive of Hurts at Presser
A video of a press conference answer was cut short, making it look like the Buccaneers’ quarterback was unimpressed by a stat about the Eagles star.
Tom Brady owns plenty of real estate in the NFL’s record books thanks to his impressive abilities as a passer, but he is also adept at another skill: the quarterback sneak. Brady, who isn’t known for using his legs otherwise, has been nearly unstoppable on sneaks during his career.
Another star quarterback has encroached on his territory in those short-yardage situations this year: Jalen Hurts of the Eagles. Unlike Brady, Hurts is a deadly runner, and at 223 pounds behind a strong Philadelphia offensive line, it is not a huge surprise that it’s hard to stop him when he sneaks the ball.
During a press conference Thursday, Brady was asked about Hurts’s success on sneaks. A video has gone viral of the legendary quarterback’s answer, and it certainly makes it seem like he was being very dismissive of the MVP candidate.
As a reporter informs Brady that Hurts has converted on 27-of-29 sneaks on the year, and that Brady’s record for successful sneaks was 18 in 2011, he repeatedly says, “Wow” in a very deadpanned manner, eventually adding a dismissive-sounding “Sick data.”
According to Twitter’s data, the video has over 2.1 million views. It does not, however, show Brady’s full response. A video posted by Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press, which has just over 85,000 views, gives the rest of Brady’s thoughts on Hurts’s success.
“[The QB sneak is] a great tool to have. I like the way they’re doing it,” Brady continued. “They’re kind of making it like a rugby scrum a little bit, putting a lot of bodies in there, which is kind of a new take on it. It’ll be interesting to see how defenses start to defend that. But he’s doing a great job. He’s a great young player. He’s throwing the ball well, running it well, sneaking it well, they’re scoring touchdowns. They’ve got a great team.”
Brady has been a regular nemesis of the Eagles throughout his lengthy NFL career, and there’s a chance that Philly may see him again this postseason if the Buccaneers hold off the rest of the NFC South to make the playoffs. On this issue, however, it certainly doesn’t seem like he was trying to slight Hurts, as he paid him some serious compliments.