What is Deflategate? Tom Brady roast joke explained

The Roast of Tom Brady on Netflix saw the former NFL quarterback take some blows — but he also shelled out a few, including a quip about Deflategate. 

Everything was on the table for Brady on Sunday night (May 5), with his roast seeing numerous celebrities and comedians taking jabs at him and the guests, as well as host Kevin Hart. 

The Netflix special sparked a number of controversial moments, from Kim Kardashian getting booed and facing the wrath of Tony Hinchcliffe to Jeff Ross’ joke about New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s 2019 scandal.

Another talking point was one of Brady’s jokes, which many believe was a confession to his role in the Deflategate scandal. But what is Deflategate, and what did Brady say?

What is the Deflategate scandal?

The Deflategate scandal refers to a controversy in the National Football League surrounding allegations that Brady and the New England Patriots deliberately deflated footballs used in the 2014 AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts. The game, played on January 18, 2015, ended in a victory for the Patriots, who went on to win the Super Bowl XLIX.

At halftime, the balls were inspected and found to be below the minimum pressure level required by NFL regulations. They were reinflated and the second half of the game resumed as normal. However, what followed was a months-long $22 million investigation by the NFL into the allegation that the Patriots had purposely tampered with the balls, the idea being that their quarterback Brady preferred the grip of softer ones. 

Unsplash

Members of the Patriots were accused of purposely deflating the footballs

Led by attorney Ted Wells, the initial investigation into Deflategate included interviews with team personnel, scientific analysis of the footballs, and a review of electronic communications. In a 243-page report, the NFL ruled that it was “more probable than not” that the Patriots had deliberately deflated the balls, and it was likely that Brady was “generally aware.”

Although the Patriots denied any wrongdoing, the team was fined $1 million, while Brady was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season. Although the decision was appealed, the four-game suspension was upheld, the main reason relating to the claim that Brady had purposely destroyed his cell phone. 

At the time, the quarterback criticized the decision and maintained his innocence. Taking to Facebook, he wrote: “I am very disappointed by the NFL’s decision to uphold the four game suspension against me. I did nothing wrong, and no one in the Patriots organization did either.

Wikimedia Commons

Tom Brady denied any wrongdoing

“Despite submitting to hours of testimony over the past six months, it is disappointing that the Commissioner upheld my suspension based upon a standard that it was ‘probable’ that I was ‘generally aware’ of misconduct. 

“The fact is that neither I, nor any equipment person, did anything of which we have been accused. He dismissed my hours of testimony and it is disappointing that he found it unreliable.

“I also disagree with yesterday’s narrative surrounding my cell phone. I replaced my broken Samsung phone with a new iPhone 6 AFTER my attorneys made it clear to the NFL that my actual phone device would not be subjected to investigation under ANY circumstances. 

“As a member of a union, I was under no obligation to set a new precedent going forward, nor was I made aware at any time during Mr. Wells investigation, that failing to subject my cell phone to investigation would result in ANY discipline.”

What did Tom Brady say about Deflategate at his Netflix roast?

In The Roast of Tom Brady, the former NFL quarterback took to the stage to make a joke about Deflategate. “The NFL spent $20 million and found it was ‘more probable than not’ that I was ‘generally aware’ that someone may have deflated my footballs,” he said. “You could have just given me the $20 million and I would just told you I f*cking did it.”

While this could very well be what it looks like – just another joke – many believe it’s a confession, especially since Brady is now retired and has nothing to lose. Taking to X/Twitter after the Netflix roast aired, one wrote, “Tom Brady just confessed to Deflategate.”

“We NFL fans knew Tom Brady was involved in the #deflategate scam BUT NONE of you analysts nor announcers nor Roger would touch it,” said another, while a poll on the matter saw 64% of respondents saying they believe Brady admitted to the scandal. 

However, some people don’t see it that way. As said by one, “I interpreted Tom Brady’s joke differently: I thought he was saying, ‘The NFL spent so much money and found so little, if they had just paid me the same money, I would have admitted to anything!’ Something short of a real confession.”

Another agreed, “Tom Brady did not say he deflated the balls. He said he would have confessed for $20M. How is this hard for you to understand? It was in plain English.”

The Roast of Tom Brady is available to stream on Netflix now. If you’re looking for something new to watch, check out all of the movies hitting streaming this month, as well as the TV shows to add to your watchlist.