Patriots: We must know more about Tom Brady-Tyrann Mathieu exchange after QB’s apology text

What the mouthwatering Super Bowl matchup between the Buccaneers and Chiefs lacked in overall competitiveness, it more than made up for in on-field altercations between some of the game’s biggest superstars.

The most noteworthy of these shouting matches actually transpired on multiple occasions throughout the game and featured the same two players: Bucs quarterback Tom Brady and Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu.

We’ll likely never know what was said during the exchange (unless we can infiltrate TB12’s inner circle…), but Mathieu clarified in a since-deleted tweet after the loss that Brady referred to him as something that couldn’t be repeated on social media. In a vacuum, it makes sense why the details are being kept behind closed doors, as these types of squabbles are to be expected with a championship on the line.

However, we simply must know more about what provoked their encounter after the latest nugget was revealed. Per Jenna Laine of ESPN, the former Patriots quarterback texted a “lengthy apology” to Mathieu in which he acknowledged that he’s a great leader and one of the best players in the league at his position.

According to the report, Brady took ownership for losing his composure and apparently told Mathieu that he’s paid close attention to his career since his college days at LSU, where he really struggled to stay on the field due to off-the-field issues.

On top of that, Brady even called him an “ultimate competitor” in the apology text and told reporters that he wish he could’ve apologized in person before the postgame ceremonies got underway.

In most circumstances, this would mark the end of the duo’s beef. However, the report failed to mention whether Mathieu accepted Brady’s apology, so it’s feasible that the All-Pro safety is still holding a grudge for the supposed offensive term the Patriots legend called him.

"“He called me something I won’t repeat but yeah I’ll let all the media throw me under the bus as if I did something or said something to him…go back to my previous games against TB12 I showed him nothing but respect,” Mathieu said in his deleted tweet. “Look at my interviews about him…I show grace.”"

Brady’s temper obviously simmered once the game was over, but the fact that he felt compelled to send Mathieu a lengthy apology suggests that he regrets whatever what was said during their war of words.

We’ve seen the 43-year-old get heated on the field dozens of times throughout his Patriots tenure, but reports of him delivering an apology to the player he was chirping at? We can’t recall that ever happening before in Brady’s career, and given this situation’s collector’s item vibe — on top of Mathieu doling out a fairly serious accusation, of course — we seriously need to know the dirty details behind their exchange.

Tom Brady: 3 horrible calls that gifted the Bucs QB his seventh Super Bowl ring

Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady won his seventh Super Bowl on Sunday ... and we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that the refs helped him.