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Michael Irvin can’t reveal what Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady told Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu, but he was able to share what Brady definitely has does not have say.
In an interview with Tuesday’s edition of “The Rich Eisen Show,” the Hall of Fame receiver and the NFL Network analyst discussed heated Super Bowl 55 interaction between Brady and Mathieu. After a touchdown pass from Brady with just six seconds left in the second quarter, Mathieu ran to Brady and put a finger straight in his face. Brady then felt the need to extend the conversation, chasing Mathieu before his teammates separated the two.
MORE: Can Brady and Bucs repeat as Super Bowl champions?
In a tweet deleted from which was released on Sunday night after the Tampa Bay win, Mathieu claimed Brady may have crossed the line with his choice of words.
“He called me something I won’t repeat but yeah I’m gonna let all the media throw me under [the] bus like I’m doing something or telling him something, “Mathieu tweeted.” Go back to my previous matches against [Brady]. I only showed him respect. Watch my interviews on him. I show grace. “
Mathieu’s cryptic message led to speculation that Brady hurled a racial insult at Mathieu. Irvin, who has access to the audio on the pitch because he’s working on Showtime’s “Inside The NFL” but is prohibited from disclosing details, says Brady didn’t say anything that would be considered insensitive to race.
“I didn’t like Tyrann Mathieu presented it like that, like he said, honestly,” Irvin told Eisen. “Because, I’m going, ‘Go now.’ It feels like – it makes people want to know, “What did he say? We’re curious. ”Like he said the N word, and he didn’t. Tom didn’t. So, you know, I didn’t even like it to emerge even in this situation. . That’s why I think we should clean this up somewhere, somehow. That’s what I’m saying. He didn’t say that. “
“I don’t think it’s fair and just for Tom, and when we leave it like that, some people think or can say or have thoughts – and it wasn’t that,” Irvin said. “But also on our side, as the African American side, because I don’t want people to think, ‘OK, they’re just repeating it or implying it again.’ So it’s like a wolf is crying, and then when it really happens, nobody listens. See what I’m saying? So I wanna squash it all. It was just two guys competing. That’s what that’s. It’s just two guys competing. “
During his post-match media availability, Mathieu declined to provide details of the trash-talking incident, but told reporters he didn’t think it impacted his performance.
“I thought I played as hard as possible today,” said Mathieu (via ProFootballTalk). “Look, Tom Brady is a great quarterback. I’ve never really seen that side of Tom Brady, to be honest. But whatever. No comment. It’s over. I’m done with that. “
Brady did not publicly address the feud, but he did send Mathieu an apology after the game, according to ESPN’s Jenna Laine. Brady reportedly told Mathieu that he considered him a “class act” and a “great leader”.
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