Tom Brady Recalls Forgetting the Down at Soldier Field: ‘Bad for the Quarterback’

Even the GOAT can’t be infallible, and Tom Brady knows that.

In fact, the last time Brady was at Soldier Field, he was dealt with a memory he’d like to forget. Brady, who was in the midst of his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, thought a game-sealing incomplete pass he threw on fourth down was really third down in a matchup against the Chicago Bears in 2020.

“You know, sometimes I even mess things up,” Brady said as he watched the clip of him looking confused in that moment, “and I did on that day.”

Tom Brady Story Time: How the Bears nearly landed the GOAT 🤯 Inside the Infamous 4th Down Incident

With 38 seconds remaining and the Buccaneers trailing 20-19, Brady took a downfield shot and tried to connect with tight end Cameron Brate to put Tampa Bay in field goal range on a fourth-and-5 play from Tampa Bay’s own 41-yard line. But Brady’s pass to Brate was knocked down by DeAndre Houston-Carson.

After the play ended, Brady remained on the field for a moment and held up four fingers, believing that the Buccaneers still had another down.

“Broken up on third down,” Brady sarcastically said, re-watching the moment again. “What’s the next play? Fourth down? I thought what happened on third down was the incompletion to Cam Brate.”

Sunday will mark the first time Brady will be at Soldier Field for that infamous moment as he’ll be on the call for America’s Game of the Week when the Bears host the Dallas Cowboys (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). As this October marks the fifth anniversary of Brady’s brain fart, it’s clear time heals all wounds. But in the moment, Brady wasn’t happy with himself.

“I kind of couldn’t believe it that I forgot,” Brady said. “I think I actually clocked a ball. That was a bad mess-up. Bad for the quarterback to know what down it is, that’s for sure.”

At the time, the loss dropped the Buccaneers down to 3-2 on the season as some wondered how Brady would fit in his new home. Brady actually had a solid performance that night, completing 25 of 41 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown while the Buccaneers out-gained the Bears, 339-243. But Brady also threw a pick-six in the first quarter of that game before the Bears kicked the would-be game-winning field goal with 1:06 remaining.

Ultimately, Brady and the Buccaneers were able to move past that episode as they went on to win Super Bowl LV that season. However, with Brady being the competitor that he is, he still laments that moment.

“If they gave us a fifth down, I maybe would’ve converted on fourth down and moved the sticks,” Brady said.

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