When all is said and done, Tom Brady will go down as one of the best players in NFL history, and it’s something current players are taking full advantage of.
Brady begins his path for his eighth Super Bowl on Monday night when the Buccaneers take on the Dallas Cowboys. The All-Pro quarterback is fully focused on the game and is not concerned yet on if his future will be in Tampa Bay.
But the 45-year-old did have time to fulfill a request from one of his teammates, and it was a salty one. Brady revealed on social media Saturday that Logan Ryan asked him to sign a football that was his last pass as a member of the Patriots.
For those who don’t remember, New England played the Tennessee Titans in the wild-card round. The Patriots lost at Gillette Stadium, and Brady would leave and sign with the Buccaneers the following season.
The last pass for the quarterback in that game: A Ryan pick-six with nine seconds left in the game. The cornerback wanted the ball signed by Brady and left a note that read “last pass as a Pat” that also included the date, Jan. 4, 2020, along with a smiley face.
“Come on man,” Brady tweeted.
The future Hall of Fame quarterback also added angry face emojis following another caption that read, “When (Logan Ryan) asks you to sign a ball.”
It’s not the first time Brady has fulfilled a fan request from a current player, and it’s not the first time he’s signed a ball from a defensive player who intercepted his pass.
Brady has done so before for former New York Jets cornerback Brandin Echols during the 2021 season. San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw also asked for an autograph after beating the Buccaneers 35-7.
Timing always is key when asking Brady to autograph a ball that was picked off, but the 45-year-old might have created a trend for other quarterbacks in the future.
Hopefully for Ryan, Brady doesn’t return to New England so that the ball still retains its value as the quarterback’s last pass thrown as a Patriot.
