Tom Brady has a surprising advocate in this whole Deflategate mess.
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman is mad, bro, about Brady losing about $2 million in salary if he has to serve a four-game suspension. The Patriots organization, on the other hand, was fined only $1 million.
Sherman told USA Today that $1 million is “peanuts” to the Patriots.
The three-time First Team All-Pro has changed his tune. Before Super Bowl XLIX, Sherman complained that Brady would probably get off light because NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was too chummy with Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
Losing to the Patriots in the big game must have humbled Sherman. He extended his hand to Brady while the Patriots quarterback knelt down and cradled the ball in victory as time ran out, and Brady left him hanging for a few seconds before shaking that hand. Two years earlier, Sherman was in Brady’s ear with his famous “You mad, bro?” line after the up-and-coming Seahawks defeated the Patriots 24-23 at Seattle.
SEATTLE, WA – JANUARY 19: Cornerback Richard Sherman #25 of the Seattle Seahawks talks with the referee after being called for an unsportsmanlike penalty for taunting wide receiver Michael Crabtree #15 of the San Francisco 49ers late in the fourth quarter during the 2014 NFC Championship at CenturyLink Field on January 19, 2014 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Sherman, 27, is a little older and wiser now. As brash as he is on the field, he sticks up for his fellow players off it no matter what uniform they wear. He wants Goodell to come down on owners and organizations just as hard as he comes down on players.
Who knows if Sherman would be in Brady’s corner if the Seahawks were in the AFC East and played the Patriots twice a year? The You Mad Bro Game was the only time Sherman faced the Patriots before air pressure in footballs became an issue. Sherman and the Seahawks aren’t left to wonder if any funny business might have helped the Patriots beat them in a regular-season or playoff game.
What we do know is that going forward, Sherman will do or say what he can to keep Goodell’s power in check. He’s going to blanket the commissioner just like he blankets opposing receivers.