Dave Portnoy has indicated that Tom Brady may have aided the Seattle Seahawks in their Super Bowl victory against the New England Patriots this year. The accusation stems from remarks made by Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald during a recent interview.
When asked about individuals he consulted for advice prior to the Super Bowl in February, Macdonald mentioned he spoke with new New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh. However, he also alluded to receiving help from "one guy that really helped us out that had some conflict of interest," but declined to name the person. This statement has fueled speculation on social media, with many pointing to Brady.
Portnoy, the founder of Barstool Sports, took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his frustration as a Patriots fan, referencing the unnamed individual. "I'm not going to say who they are saying gave a ton of advice to the Seahawks before the Super Bowl but the guy has a statue in front of our stadium. What a joke," he wrote. A statue of Brady was unveiled outside Gillette Stadium in August 2025, honoring his seven Super Bowl titles, all but one won with the Patriots.
Brady, a three-time NFL MVP and five-time Super Bowl MVP, retired in 2023. He was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2024, with his No. 12 jersey retired. Brady is currently a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders and is contracted with Fox as a lead NFL analyst.
While Brady's involvement has not been officially confirmed, he was present at Levi's Stadium for the Super Bowl on February 8. Following the Seahawks' 29-13 victory, Macdonald shared that Brady had sent him a congratulatory text message. "Tom Brady texted me. That was cool," Macdonald said, adding that he told Brady, "Hey, thanks for stealing our [offensive coordinator]," in reference to the Raiders hiring Klint Kubiak weeks later.
Earlier, Brady had drawn criticism from Patriots fans for his pre-game comments, where he stated he "didn't have a dog in the fight" regarding the Super Bowl matchup and expressed support for the "Mike Vrabel regime" and the "new chapter in New England."