Ryan Fitzpatrick’s Comments Add to Tom Brady Handshake Controversy
Beating Tom Brady is an accolade few quarterbacks have accomplished, but when it happens, nearly everyone in the building is eagerly anticipating that post-game handshake at the 50-yard line.
According to Ryan Fitzpatrick, however, Brady doesn’t always greet his opponents with his award-winning smile after a loss. The journeyman QB reflected on his 17-year career during a recent appearance on the ESPN+ series American Caddie and discussed how the then-Patriots QB snubbed him following losses in their head-to-head matchups.
“Beating Tom Brady, after the first time, because after the first time he didn’t shake my hand,” Fitzpatrick said when asked about his favorite moment of his career, per Insider.com. “I was on the Jets [for the second win, four years later] and I had to chase him down on the 50-yard line.”
He continued, “Apparently, he hates losing more than everybody else hates losing. When he does lose, I want a handshake.”
If you’ll notice, the 39-year-old Fitzpatrick said, “after the first time,” a subtle nod to his three career wins over the Buccaneers captain during his time in New England. The 2005 draft pick first beat Brady with the Bills in 2011 then again in 2015 while with the Jets. He completed the trifecta as a member of the Dolphins in 2019.
Fitzpatrick, who is currently a free agent, is now the second QB to publicly acknowledge the GOAT snubbed him post-loss. Brady reportedly did the same to Nick Foles after Super Bowl 52 and a Bucs-Bears game during the 2020 season, though the details remain murky to this day.
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