Tom Brady won’t face punishment from NFL for criticizing ejection of Lions DB Brian Branch, per report

Tom Brady has been keeping pretty busy in his post-playing career. The two notable endeavors that the seven-time Super Bowl champion is currently engaged in are being a color analyst for Fox Sports and buying a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. While prestigious and lucrative in their own right, they don’t necessarily jive. Because he is an owner in the NFL, Brady is under strict rules as a broadcaster, which includes being subject to fines if he goes too far in criticizing the officials. 

That point was put to the test in Week 9 during Brady’s coverage of the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers matchup at Lambeau Field. During that contest, Brady critiqued the ejection of Lions safety Brian Branch for an illegal hit on a defenseless receiver. 

“I don’t love that call at all,” Brady said on the broadcast when Branch was ejected. “I mean, obviously that’s a penalty. But, to me, that has to be serious intent in a game like this.”

When asked by Pro Football Talk if Brady had crossed the line of his parameters in criticizing officials, the league relays that he would not face punishment for his comments. 

“The concern would be if Tom was egregiously critical of officiating or called into question the integrity of an official or the crew,” the league told Pro Football Talk. “That did not occur in this instance.”

As PFT notes, the word “egregiously” wasn’t a part of the reported guidelines for Brady at the start, so the league may be moving the goalpost a touch as they continue to navigate his broadcasting career. 

So, unless Brady goes scorched earth against the officials at some point during his tenure in the booth, the league — at the least for the moment — doesn’t appear to be too eager to fine him for his comments that slightly jab the officiating.