Brady Passes, Set to Join Other Teammates in Skipping White House Visit

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will not attend Wednesday’s ceremony at the White House honoring the team’s Super Bowl LI win, according to Fox News.

Brady stated that his decision not to attend the ceremony has nothing to do with his relationship with President Trump.

“Thank you to the president for hosting this honorary celebration and for supporting our team for as long as I can remember,” he said in a statement obtained by ESPN. “In light of some recent development, I am unable to attend today’s ceremony, as I am attending to some personal family matters.”

Fox News reported that the White House was already aware that Brady planned to skip the ceremony, citing “family issues.”

While Brady did not add any details, it is known that his mother is currently battling cancer.

Again, we have no idea whether Brady is skipping the ceremony because of family issues or the fact that he has received some heat for his support of Trump.

In September of 2015, a reporter spotted a red “Make America Great Again” hat inside Brady’s locker. When asked if he wanted Trump to win the presidency, Brady said, “I hope so, it would be great.”

It should also be noted that Brady previously missed a ceremony at the White House after a Super Bowl win when Obama was president.

Players skipping the ceremony at the White House for political purposes is nothing new. At least six other players on the Patriots’ championship team are planning to skip, such as: Martellus Bennett, Devin McCourty, Chris Long, LaGarrette Blount, Don’t’a Hightower, and Alan Branch.

Robert Kraft, the owner of the Patriots – who supported Trump – was asked about the players who were planning to skip the trip to the White House.

“This is America. We’re all free to do whatever’s best for us.” He also said players skipping the ceremony was not an unusual occurrence.

“Well, you know what’s interesting, this is our, I’m happy to say, fifth Super Bowl in the last 16 years,” Kraft told the Today Show. “And every time we’ve had the privilege of going to the White House, a dozen of our players don’t go. This is the first time it’s gotten any media attention.”

Whether Brady is skipping because he is dealing with a family issue or if he is trying to avoid media fallout over his relationship with Trump, this isn’t the first time Brady has skipped the White House ceremony.

We shouldn’t over analyze this.

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