Tom Brady took hits for 23 seasons in the NFL. His off-field resilience was tested on Sunday as he withstood three hours of barbs and jabs during a live roast on Netflix.
Comedians, former teammates and coaches took the stage to deliver jokes about the seven-time champion’s divorce from Gisele Bundchen, his Deflategate controversy in New England and his turbulent relationship with former coach Bill Belichick.
“I’m honored to be here at the roast of Tom Brady on Netflix,” the infamously stoic Belichick said during a 10-minute monologue. “Not to be confused with the roast of Bill Belichick on the 10-part Apple-TV series.”
Those who took the stage balanced praising Brady’s on-field achievements while prodding at his off-field headlines.
“You have seven rings,” comedian Nikki Glaser said. “Well, eight now that Giselle gave hers back.”
Former teammates took aim at controversies that followed Brady and the Patriots throughout their dynasty.
“Before I got to the New England Patriots, we heard about Spygate. Then after I left, we heard about Deflategate,” Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss said. “So I only got one question for you, Tom: ’Why the f—- didn’t we cheat when I was there?”
Though Brady seemed to remain in good spirits for most of the night, some jokes pushed boundaries.
Comedian Jeff Ross joked that Brady must have offered Patriots owner Robert Kraft a massage after the quarterback was drafted in 1999. The joke alluded to a controversial subject — Kraft was suspected of paying for sex at massage parlors in 2019, though authorities later dropped the charges.
“Don’t say that s—- again,” Brady whispered to Ross.
The night concluded with Brady poking fun at himself, as he flippantly confessed to deflating footballs. He then turned his attention to Belichick.
“I’ve been out of the game for a minute, so I’m curious. How many Super Bowl rings have you won since I left?” Brady said before leaving the stage. “Maybe it’s not just the guy on the sideline. When I go to the Indy 500, I don’t ask the winning driver ’Hey, who gassed up your car?’”
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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