Tom Brady admits NFL refs give him favorable treatment: ‘I’m kind of a pain in their a—’

There has been speculation that Tom Brady is favored by NFL referees for years. Well, Brady himself was asked about it on Wednesday.
Brady appeared on Jim Gray’s podcast “Let’s Go!” this week and Gray asked the Buccaneers quarterback about a roughing the passer call during his Sunday game vs. the Eagles. When it comes to roughing the passer calls specifically, Brady said he thinks he is let off the hook more by referees.
“I do know that [the officials] probably let me get away with a lot of unsportsmanlike conducts, talking smack to the other team and talking smack to the refs when I don’t think I get the right call,” Brady said. “I’m kind of a pain in their a— if you don’t already know that.”MORE: Five keys to a Super Bowl repeat for Tom Brady, Buccaneers in 2022
In terms of the roughing the passer calls, Brady tweeted at Pro Football Focus asking them to figure out the statistics of most roughing the passer calls on quarterbacks since 2010. Well, they answered, and it appears that Brady ranks 10th on that list, although they did not include the exact number of roughing the passer penalties each quarterback has had.MORE: NFL referee defends bizarre ending to Cowboys vs. 49ers gamePro Football Network did not research how many unsportsmanlike conduct penalties Brady has received over his career, or even in recent years. Brady might be right about the unsportsmanlike conduct no-calls: Brady smashed a Microsoft Surface tablet last month on the sidelines, and he was not even fined for the action. Brady was referencing when he often talks “smack” to the referees following calls he doesn’t particularly agree with. He admits that he doesn’t hold back with his thoughts or his frustration, yet he rarely, if ever, is penalized for his behavior. In a post season where NFL officials have already made headlines multiple times for controversial calls or miscalls, it’ll be interesting to see how the referees treat Brady in comparison to other players. MORE: Officials from Bengals-Raiders game not expected to work playoffs again after controversial touchdownThe Buccaneers face the Rams in the NFC divisional round playoff game on Sunday afternoon. Brady is looking to win his eighth Super Bowl title, while the Buccaneers are hoping to win in back-to-back years.