Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady seems to not like shaking opposing quarterbacks hands after games, or at least after losses. Brady didn't shake Nick Foles' hand after his team's loss to Chicago Bears earlier this season, leaving many to think TB12 is still bitter about the New England Patriots' Super Bowl LII loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. When asked about it, Brady maintained there was no bitterness and he has respect for Foles.
Nick Foles lives rent FREE in Tom Brady’s head 🏡#FlyEaglesFly
— Underground Sports Philadelphia (@UndergroundPHI) October 9, 2020
pic.twitter.com/RSM03bli5B
After Bucs' win over the Las Vegas Raiders, Tampa's social media team tweeted "QB respect" with a handshake emoji and a photo of Brady and Derek Carr shaking hands, leaving many wondering if the team was referencing the handshake drama.
QB respect 🤝 pic.twitter.com/IxFIMNiBj2
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) October 26, 2020
After Brady and company's loss to the Rams on Monday Night Football, TB12's swift trip back to the locker room after the game while Jared Goff was looking for him at midfield had the QB in the spotlight once again for his handshakes -- or lack thereof. As it is a repeated offense, we are going to take a look at what is really the motive behind whether Brady shakes or doesn't shake an opposing QB's hand.
Let's look at the defendant's claims, starting with Brady's reasoning for not shaking hands with Foles not once, but twice, with the first coming in that Super Bowl LII loss. Brady claimed he sometimes just runs off the field right away, depending on whether he has a relationship with the opposing quarterback.
The six-time Super Bowl champ said going up to Foles in their recent game was simply not something that crossed his mind .
"I didn't even think about that. I think Nick Foles is a hell of a player, Super Bowl champ," he said. "I don't think it's anything in particular except I have great admiration for Nick and he's off to a helluva start."
He also said he knows Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers better than Foles, which is the reason he has chosen to go up to them and not Foles this season.
If Brady had never shaken hands with Foles, this might be more believable, but he has. Let's go back to Aug. 16, 2018 to a preseason game, where Brady and Foles shared a moment after the game. The Patriots won that game 37-20.
Does this all have to do with whether Brady is on the winning or losing side of a game? Let's see.
Week 1: Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints
The Bucs lost their first game this season to the New Orleans Saints, but Brady shook hands with Brees following the loss. At the beginning of the season, the NFL had a COVID-19 protocol in place regarding handshakes and any other close exchanges between opposing teams.
The rule stated, "Home and away teams are prohibited from post-game interactions within 6 feet of one another," so maybe Brady was just being extra cautious during the game against the Bears.
Clearly, Brady thought it was worth still greeting Brees:
That's a quarterback he has a close relationship with, so it's no surprise that even after a loss, he would go up to him.
Week 2: Buccaneers vs. Carolina Panthers
Results from this week are inconclusive, but Brady did not immediately run off the field following the game.
Week 3: Buccaneers vs. Denver Broncos
Brady met with several players from the Broncos following the game. The Bucs beat the Broncos 28-10.
Week 4: Buccaneers vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Brady shook hands with Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert after the Bucs' win over L.A.
Herbert is a rookie, so but maybe Brady wanted to pass on some wisdom to the youngster.
Ahh but ROOKIE Justin Herbert must be his cousin or something.... or just another qb on the losing side of the field who Brady can congratulate played well. pic.twitter.com/CLXPmlcg6i
— Philly Sports Fan (@Philadsportfan) October 22, 2020
Week 5: Buccaneers vs. Chicago Bears
As we all know, Brady did not shake hands with Foles following the 20-19 loss.
— comeback carson szn 🦅 (@britttlifts) October 26, 2020
Week 6: Buccaneers vs. Green Bay Packers
Brady shook Rodgers' hand following the Bucs' win. Here's proof:
Week 7: Buccaneers vs. Las Vegas Raiders
As we mentioned above, Brady shook Carr's hand following the Bucs' 45-20 win.
So, taking a look at the presented evidence, Brady probably does put a little bit of thought into whether or not to shake an opponents hand, given how often he does it. If he is winning or losing may or may not play a role in what he does at the end of games.
The Bucs play the New York Giants next. Keep an eye out for whether or not he shakes quarterback Daniel Jones' hand.
Week 11: Buccaneers vs. Los Angeles Rams
The Bucs and Rams faced off on Monday night and the game came down to the final two minutes. Usually, the two-minute offense is where Brady shines, but this time his drive ended with an interception rather than a game winner. The pick, his second of the night, sealed the win for the Rams, who were up 27-24.
Goff heads to the middle of the field looking for Brady, who’s off to the locker room pic.twitter.com/G4cLCQA6La
— Tucker Boynton (@Tucker_TnL) November 24, 2020
After the game, Brady appeared to snub Jared Goff when it came to the handshake. Brady and Goff have met in the past, when the two faced off in Super Bowl LIII.
