FOXBORO, Mass. — Despite several hints, threats and teases from quarterback Tom Brady, Chase Winovich’s iconic blonde hair made it through the NFL preseason mostly unharmed.
Mostly.
During the New England Patriots’ preseason finale against the New York Giants last Thursday, a video shot from the stands caught Brady, scissors in hand, snipping off a chunk of Winovich’s flow while the unsuspecting rookie edge rusher watched the game from the sideline.
“You know, I think a lot of people would pay a lot of money to have Tom as a barber,” Winovich said Monday when asked about the impromptu trim. “Luckily, I got that option for free. People saw online a little snippet of that — literally, a snippet.
“That was cool. I get to watch the Patriots on the sideline while getting my hair cut by Tom Brady. It’s an experience, for sure.”
It’s unclear whether Brady has plans to shear off the rest of his fellow Michigan product’s shoulder-length mane. So far, quarterback Jarrett Stidham is the only Patriots rookie to receive a full-blown haircut.
In non-hair-related news, Winovich is preparing to make his regular-season NFL debut this Sunday night against the team he grew up rooting for: the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“It’s really cool,” Winovich said, who hails from Jefferson Hills, Pa. “I’ve seen a couple people from my hometown publicly display this dilemma between having to root for the Steelers and having a neighbor or a friend or a high school teammate also play for the Patriots. So there’s a bit of a conundrum for them. But really, I’m not worried about all that. I just know I have a job to do, whatever that may be on Sunday.”
Despite his Steelers fandom, Winovich said he never hated the Patriots as a kid. And when New England selected him in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, his immediate family quickly switched allegiances.
“It’s not like the Patriots were an in-division rival for the Steelers,” Winovich said. “Growing up, they had a lot of competitive games and stuff, but (they’re) both historic programs. I’m just thankful to be here.”
