As Tom Brady and Drew Brees hug and say goodbye after a long talk on the field, Brady throws a touchdown pass to Brees’ son. One walks off to play in the NFC championship, the other stays to play with his kids. pic.twitter.com/wdWDro9YD4
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) January 18, 2021
The Superdome lights were beginning to shut off, but Drew Brees and his family remained on the field. The New Orleans Saints quarterback was still soaking everything in — the hurdles he and his teammates had overcome this season, and the painful playoffs loss they’d been dealt by the Tampa bay Buccaneers — when the passer who had just beaten him strolled up to chat.
It’s unknown what was exchanged between Tom Brady and Brees, but he was a welcome addition to the scene. Brady chatted with Brees and his wife, and threw a touchdown pass to one of their sons as he ran into the end zone. After a while, the two quarterbacks embraced before Brady picked up his bags and took his leave, joining his own teammates as they left for Tampa Bay.
That conversation couldn’t have been easy. But it was a great gesture by Brady to speak with Brees privately, and to his credit Brees handled it all with grace. The mutual respect between them speaks for itself. It’s just a shame that we never got to see the pair duel more often in their primes.
