Under Armour spokesman Tom Brady appeared at Monday’s press conference wearing an inside-out Nike sweatshirt, which would have gone unnoticed had the apparel giant’s famous ‘swoosh’ logo not been visible along the New England quarterback’s sleeve.
It’s not unusual for Brady to be interviewed in Nike gear because the league has an exclusive apparel contract with the brand.
However, when he’s not in a Nike practice jersey or a Nike game jersey, Brady’s clothing is typically unbranded or features the Under Armour logo.
Tom Brady tried – and failed – to conceal the Nike logo on his right sleeve by wearing his sweatshirt inside out. The New England Patriots quarterback endorses Under Armour
Although he’s forced to wear a Nike ‘swoosh’ when he plays, Brady’s post-game attire is often unbranded. The 41-year old is endorsed by a number of brands, and also has his own: TB12
For instance in January, prior to Super Bowl LII, Brady was seen sporting an Under Armour glove over his injured throwing hand during interactions with the media.
Brady has also been mindful of Nike logos on his workout gear, and prior to that, when the NFL had an endorsement deal with Reebok, he would refrain from being seen with that logo as well.
The practice is not uncommon in sports, where each major professional league has an exclusive apparel deal. NBA players, for instance, have been seen hiding the Nike logo on their socks to avoid conflict with any of their sponsors.
Nike has been at the center of a media storm since making free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick the face of its latest ‘Just Do It’ campaign. Kaepernick has remained unsigned since the 2016 season, when he started protesting inequality and racist police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem.
Brady has not weighed in too much on the anthem controversy, but he has voiced his support for Kaepernick, whom he says is good enough to be playing in the NFL. (Kaepernick is currently suing the league, accusing all 32 owners of colluding to keep him unsigned in retaliation for starting the wave of controversial protests).
In fact, Brady’s Instagram account recently ‘liked’ several posts featuring Nike’s new Kaepernick ad.
Tom Brady has been endorsing Under Armour for a number of years
In addition to Under Armour spikes (right), Brady also sports Under Armour gloves (left), which he wore ahead of Super Bowl LII to obscure the bandages on his injured right throwing hand
The Patriots are off to a disappointing 2-2 start, but Brady’s season appeared to turn around during Sunday’s 38-7 win in Miami. Not only did Brady toss for three touchdowns, but he connected twice with new Patriots receiver Josh Gordon, a former All-Pro who was recently signed by New England after battling substance abuse issues as a member of the Cleveland Browns.
‘He’s been really working hard and trying to get things right,’ Brady told WEEI. ‘And I don’t feel like I had to worry about where he was lining up or where he was running. He was super confident. I could tell in his eyes he knew what he was doing.’
Best of all, for Brady, is the fact that his favorite target, wide receiver Julian Edelman, is returning from a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
The 32-year-old has 425 receptions for 4,540 yards and 24 touchdowns in his 10-year career with the Patriots. The former Kent State quarterback has also won two Super Bowls with Brady, with whom he trains with in the offseason.
There are times when Brady’s personal endorsement deals take a backseat to the NFL’s sponsors, like during Super Bowl media day ahead of Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis