USA TODAY Sports
Something happened between Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu before the Super Bowl LV break. That something was captured by the NFL Films microphones. That something will not be revealed by NFL Filmes.
According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the NFL in-house producer will not disclose the content of the exchange between Brady and Mathieu. As the source explained, NFL Films does not normally reveal the audio of such disputes between players.
“He called me something that I will not repeat, but yes, I will let all the media throw me under the bus as if I had done something or said something to him,” said Mathieu in a tweet he posted, but deleted after the match. This led to speculation by some that Brady used slander or something that crossed the line.
Michael Irvin, who apparently heard the audio, said on Rich Eisen’s program that no slander was used. As the source explained to PFT, the Brady-Mathieu exchange did not include anything stronger than the typical bad words heard in any NFL game.
It is a pity that NFL Films does not release audio with independent journalistic value, as the interaction between Brady and Mathieu resulted in the launch of a flag against Mathieu. It is also a pity that NFL Films does not accept audio from player disputes.
Then again, given the audio of the NHL players that periodically comes to light, it might be a good thing that the NFL doesn’t.