Nick Foles earned his first win as a starter for the Chicago Bears in Week 5 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a score of 20-19, but there were arguably more intriguing headlines that came out of that game than just Chicago’s upset victory. Tom Brady appeared to lose track of downs during what could have been a potential game-winning drive and he also did not shake Foles’ hand after the final whistle blew.
While that sounds like a harmless move, plenty of fans pointed out on social media that there was actually some history to this never-before-seen handshake. Brady embraced Drew Brees, Justin Herbert and even Aaron Rodgers this season, but couldn’t get to the locker room fast enough after his loss to Foles and the Bears. Brady was also criticized for not shaking Foles’ hand after the New England Patriots fell to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl back in 2018.
Many wanted an answer as to why Brady seemingly ignored Foles yet again when they faced off, and Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report finally got Brady to answer the question this week.
“I didn’t even think about that,” Brady said. “I think Nick Foles is a hell of a player and a Super Bowl champ and I don’t know one reason or another why I wouldn’t do that. Sometimes I’ve run off of the field, sometimes I haven’t. Sometimes if I have a personal relationship like I have with Drew [Brees] and Justin [Herbert] and Aaron [Rodgers] over the years… I don’t know. I don’t think it’s anything in particular but I have great admiration for Nick and I think that he’s a hell of a player. They’re off to a great start.”
Some claimed Brady did not go and greet Foles because he was taking COVID-19 protocols seriously, but that doesn’t explain why he would avoid Foles but not other players after other games this year. Others would argue that Brady was upset with the loss the Bucs suffered that night, but he made himself available to Brees after their matchup in Week 1. This is going to be something people continue to talk about, and Brady’s “I don’t know” answer probably doesn’t answer any questions.
