Tom Brady Won’t Be Punished for Criticizing Packers-Lions Ejection

Tom Brady is still feeling out how far he can go in his new role as Fox’s lead NFL analyst.

Though the league has barred Brady from criticizing officials—and much more—on the air because of his stake in the Raiders, there appears to be some wiggle room.

Brady won’t be punished for his comments during Sunday’s Packers-Lions game, a source familiar with the situation told Front Office Sports.

Lions defensive back Brian Branch was flagged for unnecessary roughness Sunday for hitting Packers receiver Bo Melton in the head. After a review from New York, Branch was ejected.

“I don’t love that call at all,” Brady said during the broadcast. “Obviously it’s a penalty, but to me, there has to be serious intent in a game like this.” 

That would appear to violate the league’s ban on Brady criticizing teams or referees. But the NFL had “no issue” with his comments, according to the source. Brady won’t be fined.

On Monday, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy clarified—for the first time—exactly where the line was for Brady. “The concern would be if Tom was egregiously critical of officiating or called into question the integrity of an official or the crew,”  McCarthy said in a statement. “That did not occur in this instance.” 

The NFL generally issues five-figure fines for first-time offenders who criticize refs, though it depends on the situation. Chiefs coach Andy Reid was fined $100,000 last year. Owners have rarely crossed the line or been punished for it; in 2006, Steelers owner Dan Rooney was fined $25,000 for criticizing the officials to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette after a loss to the Falcons. 

The Raiders, Fox, and the NFL Referees Association did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

—Michael McCarthy contributed reporting. This story has been updated with comment from the NFL.