NFL star Tom Brady shared a touching moment with rival Drew Brees and his kids after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended the New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl dreams Sunday night.
In a video taken after the NFC division playoff game ended, Buccaneers quarterback Brady, 43, was seen stopping to chat with Saints quarterback Brees, 42, while on the field at New Orleans’ Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Brees was on the field playing with his children when Brady, carrying a duffle bag, walked over to him.
Tom Brady was caught on video throwing a touchdown pass to Drew Brees’ son, Baylen, after Sunday night’s game where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New Orleans Saints
The two men – who had already changed into street clothes – hugged and talked with Brees’ children frolicked around them.
At one point, Brees’ son, Baylen, walked up to Brady, holding out a football, leading Brady to throw a perfect touchdown pass which the boy caught in the corner of the end zone.
‘We could have used you tonight!’ Brady said after Baylen caught the ball. ‘Get that ball in the end zone.’
Brady and Brees chatted a little bit longer, then Brady picked up his bag and walked off the field, telling Brees’ sons to ‘be nice to your sister’ and high-fiving them.
Brees’ son, Baylen is shown catching Brady’s pass (left). As Brady left the field, he high-fived Brees’ children and told them to be nice to their sister (right)
Brees (left) and Brady (right) are shown after Sunday game, which the Buccaneers won, beating the Saints 30-20
Brees (left) and Brady (right) are seen smiling as they talked while on the Mercedes-Benz Superdome Sunday night
Baylen (right) is seen tossing up a football while dad Brees (left) and Brady (center) chat. Brady later throws that ball to the kid
Brady (left) had stopped on the field on his way out of the stadium to have a chat with Brees (right), who had been watching his kids playing on the field, after the game
It’s believed that Sunday night’s game will be Brees’ last, as he is expected to retire at the end of the season. Brees is shown during the game Sunday
Brady will now lead the Buccaneers against the Green Bay Packers at the NFC championship game. He is shown during Sunday night’s game
Brady (No. 12) is shown during Sunday’s game, handing off the ball to Leonard Fournette (No. 28). The Buccaneers would go on to win 30-20
The video, captured by an NFL Network correspondent, went viral with more than 8.1million views.
Other videos showed Brees as the last on the field, standing on the sidelines with his wife as his children played, nearly two hours after the game ended.
It’s thought that Sunday night’s game may be the last that Brees plays in the NFL as he is expected to retire after 20 years in the league.
Brees didn’t reveal any retirement plans after the game, however.
‘I’m gonna give myself an opportunity to think about the season, think about a lot of things, just like I did last year, and make a decision,’ Brees told reporters, according to ESPN.
Despite not having actually retired yet, Brees already has a deal in place to work for NBC Sports once he does retire, the New York Post reported in April 2020.
During Sunday’s game, Brady threw two touchdown passes and scored his own touchdown with a quarter back sneak.
Brady, who threw five interceptions in the first two meetings, did not turn the ball over while completing 18 of 33 for 199 yards.
Brees, who didn’t turn the ball over in the first two meetings, contributed three of the Saints four turnovers, which led to three Buccaneers’ touchdowns. He completed 19 of 34 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown.
The Saints broke a halftime tie on the first possession of the third quarter when Brees threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Tre’Quan Smith.
Brady (No. 12) hands the ball to Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones (No. 27) during the first half of Sunday night’s game
Tom Brady (No. 12) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throws a pass against the New Orleans Saints during the second quarter
Brady is seen here carrying out a quarterback sneak, getting a touchdown from the one-yard line during Sunday’s game
On New Orleans’ next possession, Brees completed a pass to Jared Cook, who fumbled and Devin White recovered and returned to the Saints 40. That led to Brady’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Leonard Fournette, tying the score at 20 at the end of the third quarter.
The Saints punted, and then Ryan Succop kicked a 36-yard field goal to give the Buccaneers a 23-20 lead. On New Orleans’ next possession, White intercepted Brees, setting up Brady’s 1-yard touchdown run with 5:01 remaining.
Mike Edwards grabbed a tipped pass from Brees for another interception on the next possession.
Deonte Harris’ 54-yard punt return set up Wil Lutz’s 23-yard field goal that gave the Saints a 3-0 lead after their first possession of the game. Lutz added a 42-yard field goal that increased the lead to 6-0 with 4:44 left in the first quarter.
Succop kicked a 26-yard field goal two minutes into the second quarter, before Sean Murphy-Bunting intercepted Brees and returned 36 yards to the New Orleans 3-yard line. That set up a 3-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Mike Evans on the next play, giving Tampa Bay a 10-6 lead.
Former Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to Smith on a trick play to give New Orleans a 13-10 lead with 8:17 left in the second quarter.
Brady drove Tampa to Succop’s 37-yard field goal as time expired, tying the score at halftime.
In the third quarter, Buccaneers rookie safety Antoine Winfield Jr. managed to get the ball out of the hands of Saints tight end Jared Cook, leading to White picking it up and returning it 18 yards. Fournette then caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Brady on a slant route.
In the fourth quarter, White picked off Brees on a pass, with Brady nailing the 30-20 win over the Saints with a quarterback sneak at the one-yard line.
The Buccaneers now go on to the NFC championship game where they’ll be playing against the Green Bay Packers on January 24.
