Ex-Patriots coach takes direct aim at Tom Brady over Deflategate controversy

Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms recently took a shot at Tom Brady over the Deflategate situation. Brady ordered the deliberate deflation of footballs during the 2014 AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. The Patriots winded up winning 42-7 but were penalized for breaking the rules.

As a result, the Patriots were fined $1 million by the NFL, while Brady served a four-game suspension, and the Patriots had draft picks docked.

Simms, who was a Patriots coaching assistant in 2012 for about 18 months, recently bashed Brady for deflating the footballs in New England for personal preference. Simms said via the "Dan Le Batard Show":

“I was there for about 18 months. I saw nothing other than I started to get an inkling about the balls not being properly inflated. Shit like that. That’s why you’ve heard me being a strong advocate for ‘yeah, that was messed up.’

"They took air out of the footballs. He took them. Not they. He, as in Tom Brady. That’s all there was to it. He didn’t need to. The balls were properly inflated for Super Bowl 49 and he won the MVP. That’s what annoyed me about it.”

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Tom Brady joked about Deflategate during his Netflix roast special

Netflix Is A Joke Festival: G.R.O.A.T The Greatest Roast Of All Time - Tom Brady - Source: Getty

While the Deflategate situation was definitely odd and strange, it didn't really diminish Tom Brady's legacy. Yes, Brady broke the rules and was penalized for it, but as a whole. However, he didn't get criticized much as many thought the deflating of footballs had no direct result in the 42-7 win over the Colts. In fact, many would even poke fun at the situation, including Brady.

Last year, Netflix had a special, "The Roast of Tom Brady," where many attended and joined in, roasting the former NFL quarterback. Brady even joked around during the roast about the Deflategate situation. He said:

"But where's Roger Goodell? Remember Deflategate? The NFL spent 20 million dollars and found that it was 'more probable than not' that I was 'generally aware' that someone may have deflated my footballs. You could've just given me the 20 million and I would've just told you I [bleeping] did it."

Brady's former coach, Bill Belichick was in attendance for the roast and even laughed after Brady's joke.

Deflategate is often looked at as a unique situation that sort of blew up more than what it was.