If you want beef, head to a butcher, because Tom Brady is not selling any.
The Bucs were handed a 20-19 loss at the hands of the Bears in Week 5, but that’s not the interesting part. What happened postgame was: Rather than shaking hands with Bears QB Nick Foles, Tom Brady (again) left him hanging. It leads to an interesting question: Does Brady not like Foles? Why won’t they shake hands?
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Speaking with the Tampa Bay Times, Brady’s full answer to the question doesn’t really provide clarity one way or the other:
I didn’t even think about that. I think Nick Foles is a hell of a player and a Super Bowl champ. I don’t know one reason or another why I wouldn’t do that. Sometimes I run off the field, sometimes I haven’t. Sometimes if I have a personal relationship, like I have with Drew and Justin and Aaron over the years. … I don’t know, I don’t think it’s anything particular other than I have great admiration for Nick and I think he’s a hell of a player. They’re off to a great start.
The Foles-led Eagles famously knocked off Brady’s Patriots in Super Bowl 52 in a classic, leading to Brady walking off the field in disappointment. It’s understandable — to almost reach the summit and slip and break your butt is certainly cause for distress. But to not shake hands — as is custom — after a regular-season loss? Fishy, man. Especially when you consider Brady has exchanged pleasantries with other QBs this season.
Tom Brady sprinted to shake Aaron Rodgers hand, but let Nick Foles beat him and he can’t get to the Locker Room faster!
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) October 18, 2020
All things considered, the strange custom doesn’t seem to bother Foles much:
Nick Foles on the handshake snubbing from Tom Brady: “You know it’s happened a few times. Someday Tom and I will have a great conversation about it and probably laugh about it. It is what it is. I think he’s a tremendous player.”
— StaceyDales (@StaceyDales) October 22, 2020
Once is a happenstance, twice is a coincidence, thrice (thrice?) is a trend. So hopefully these two squads will meet in the playoffs and we’ll get a satisfying conclusion to Handshakegate, one way or the other.