Tom Brady has reflected on his four-game suspension in 2016 for the Deflategate scandal, describing the period as a "great September" that felt like a "vacation" before fueling a championship run with the New England Patriots.
Brady, who had only won one Super Bowl in the decade prior to the 2016 season, was suspended for his role in the incident. This marked his first extended absence from the field since a torn ACL in 2008. During his suspension, Brady returned to his hometown of Pebble Beach, visited his alma mater, the University of Michigan, with his son, and traveled to Italy with his then-wife.
"I really took advantage of September. I was like, s it, I haven't had a September off since before I started playing in elementary school," Brady admitted on "The Gronk & Jules Show."
Upon his return in October, however, Brady's mindset shifted. "I was there to whoop some a--," he stated, confirming that the suspension provided extra motivation. "We all came back, and we all had something to prove. Every time you take the field as a competitor, you got something to prove. Mostly, you gotta prove it to yourself. What am I capable of doing, what are my teammates counting on me to do, and how do I go achieve it? And then, how can I be the best I can be for them?"
Brady's return saw the Patriots finish the regular season 11-1. The season culminated in a dramatic Super Bowl LI victory over the Atlanta Falcons, famously featuring a 28-3 comeback. Brady went on to win two more Super Bowls after that game, one with New England and his seventh overall with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.