Deflategate: Jerry Rice Changes His Stance
In an appearance on NFL Network over the weekend, Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice altered his views surrounding Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the wake of the Deflategate saga. You can view the whole interview here.
After calling out the Patriots when Deflategate first roared out of the gate back in January, Rice told NFL Network that Brady’s punishment is entirely up to the commissioner. “Roger Goodell’s going to have to make that call, and we’re just going to have to wait and see.”
This is a clear shift from Rice’s initial comments, which painted him as a giant hypocrite after he admitted to cheating in the form of using stickum, a banned substance that makes it easier for a player to catch a football. Since Rice carved his legacy by catching a football, it put him in some hot water.
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Possibly realizing his misstep from a few months ago, Rice decided to take the high road this weekend when responding to Deflategate questions. That’s probably smart; another admittance of breaking the rules might bring Rice’s own legacy into question.
Look, cheating is rampant in the NFL. Rice knows that, and he knows that attacking Brady for his role in Deflategate could reflect badly on him, so he altered his stance on the issue.
In the rest of the interview, Rice talks about the prospect of the first home team in a Super Bowl this February if the San Francisco 49ers manage to reach the big game. Remember, Super Bowl 50 will be played in San Fran’s Levi Stadium.
So there you have it. The best wide receiver in NFL history has stopped throwing dirt on the best quarterback in NFL history, tweaking the Deflategate narrative.