Some People Think Tom Brady Might Have Said the N-Word on National Television

There are few people in the world of the NFL more respected than Tom Brady. He's almost universally considered to be the best player in the history of the game, and he's also proven to be a knowledgeable color commentator during his time as a host for Fox's NFL coverage since his retirement.

During the Nov. 23 game between the Eagles and the Cowboys, though, some people thought they heard Brady say the n-word on national television. Now, many want to know whether that was actually the case.

Tom Brady doesn't seem to have intentionally or accidentally said the n-word. Instead, he said something very similar as he momentarily struggled to say Landon Dickerson, one of the Eagles' guards. id, "Odighizuwa just blasted through Nicker," Brady said, before he quickly corrected himself, saying, "Excuse me, [Eagles guard] Landon Dickerson right there."

You can see how Brady might have made the error, and also why so many people who weren't paying close attention might have thought that Brady said the slur. It seems to have been an honest mistake, though, and it's worth noting that Dickerson himself is a white player. Brady has never displayed any kind of racial animus in his past, although he has shown himself to be sympathetic to some Republican causes.

On the whole, though, this incident doesn't seem to reflect Brady's broader opinions of the world. Instead, he's an all-time football great who stumbled over his words as he was trying to explain to viewers at home what he had seen on the field. He said something that sounded remarkably like the n-word, but notably, it was a word that sounded like the n-word. Given how much Fox has invested in Brady, it seems unlikely that this incident will change anything.

Given his status as an all-time great, it's perhaps unsurprising that Fox was so invested in getting Brady signed to a long-term contract. Back in 2022, Brady signed a 10-year, $375 million agreement with the network for the services he is now providing. That kind of contract suggests that Brady is seen as a major asset by the network, and they trusted that he would find his footing as a broadcaster.

Now, more than three years later, it seems like Brady has largely found his way in the broadcast booth, even if he does occasionally stumble over some words. He's not a perfectly trained media specialist, but he doesn't need to be. Part of the reason Fox sees him as so valuable is because of his on-the-field credentials, which are essentially peerless.

While the clip of Brady's slip-up has gone semi-viral on social media, it doesn't seem like the kind of thing that will have a major impact on his career. He's a living legend, and he should get the benefit of the doubt unless he says something much more intentionally offensive.