Morning Sports Update
“There was a little bit of a hiatus in there, but the Patriots are back and it’s a very exciting time for everyone in New England.”
Tom Brady prior to a divisional round playoff game in Jan. 2026. AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson
February 3, 2026 | 10:22 AM
4 minutes to read
Is Tom Brady rooting for the Patriots in the Super Bowl? The Patriots are back in the Super Bowl for the first time since Tom Brady was New England’s quarterback, but is the legend himself actually rooting for his old team?
It’s a question that was posed to Brady during a recent interview on the “Let’s Go!” podcast hosted by Jim Gray. Brady initially offered a somewhat noncommittal response.
“Now in a different phase of my life, I really root for people, and the people I care about, the people who I know the work that goes into what they’re trying to accomplish,” he explained.
Eventually, he divulged the somewhat surprising admission that he isn’t outright rooting for the Patriots.
“I don’t have a dog in the fight in this one,” Brady confessed to Gray. “May the best team win. And in terms of the Patriots, this is a new chapter in New England, and I’m glad everyone’s embraced the Mike Vrabel regime, all the amazing players that have worked so hard to get their club to this position. We did it for 20 years. There was a little bit of a hiatus in there, but the Patriots are back and it’s a very exciting time for everyone in New England.”
Brady led the Patriots to nine Super Bowl appearances (six wins) during his legendary tenure in New England. After leaving as a free agent, he won a seventh Super Bowl with the Buccaneers.
As for the theory that he might be rooting against the Patriots in order to further distinguish what he’d previously accomplished, Brady was questioned about what Gray openly labeled as “idiocy.” Does he embrace that?
“I embrace the fact that people will say a lot of things that will get a click,” Brady replied. “There’s nothing anyone can ever do that can take away from my experience of competing and playing. I got to live my dream, and I loved every minute of it.
“I would never change anything that happened in my entire career, because had I changed some of those outcomes, maybe I’m not the person I am today. The wins, the losses, they all meant something to me, the relationships. No one can take those away from me. So regardless of what anyone would say or think or want to add to the conversation, I’m just excited that the two best teams — who have been consistently the best teams all year — are playing for the Super Bowl.”
Notably, Brady’s own power ranking of the NFL (which he did each week of the regular season) rarely reached the conclusion of the Patriots and Seahawks being “the two best teams.” As late as Week 8, for example, Brady did not rank Seattle among the NFL’s top 10 teams.
Trivia: Tom Brady holds both the first and second spots on the list of most passing yards in individual Super Bowls. Another player possesses both the third and fourth spots on the list. Can you name that player?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: He went to three Super Bowls in total, winning one against the Titans (but losing the other two against the Patriots and Steelers).
Scores and schedules:
On Monday, Boston College and Boston University advanced to the final of the Men’s Beanpot, with wins over Harvard and Northeastern, respectively. The two traditional rivals will face off in the final on Monday, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m. inside TD Garden (a third place game will also take place beforehand).
Tonight, the Celtics face the Mavericks in Dallas at 8 p.m.
The Bruins face the Panthers in Florida tomorrow at 7 p.m.
And the Patriots continue preparations to face the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, which will begin on Sunday at 6:30 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
Beanpot highlights: In one semifinal of the Men’s Beanpot, Boston University topped Northeastern in a shootout.
…and in the other semifinal, Boston College topped Harvard 5-1 as Bruins draft picks James Hagens (two goals, one assist) and Dean Letourneau (one goal, one assist) produced for the Eagles.
On this day: In 2002, the Patriots stunned the heavily favored Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI to win the first Super Bowl title in team history. Led by Tom Brady — who had been thrust into a starting role after the regular season injury to Drew Bledsoe — and a powerful defense, New England shackled the so-called “Greatest Show on Turf” for much of the night.
In the end, thanks to a late drive engineered by Brady, Adam Vinatieri’s 48-yard field goal with no time remaining won it for the Patriots by a 20-17 final score.
Daily highlight: Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll made the most of a tough bounce of the puck, diving back to make a miraculous save in front of net in a 4-2 win over the Flames on Monday night.
Trivia answer: Kurt Warner
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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