Who is Tom Brady Cheering For in Super Bowl 2026? Brady's Seahawks vs. Patriots Pick

The New England Patriots making it to today's Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks was shocking to many fans, even the truest believers. But the Pats making it to the Big Game isn't the most shocking thing out of New England this week; that honor fell to the GOAT, former Pats QB Tom Brady, whose comments about who he was rooting for caused quite a stir.

Brady caused a stir earlier in the week by saying that he didn't have a "dog in the fight." After winning six of his seven Super Bowl rings with the Pats (and the other not coming as a member of the Seahawks), you might think that mayyyyybe he'd be rooting for his former club. Well, things have changed, and he's now reversed course and changed his stance. 

Whether you side with the Pats or the Seahawks, our Super Bowl predictions will have you set for every conceivable angle ahead of kickoff from Levi's Stadium at 6:30 p.m. ET, airing on NBC and streaming on Peacock.

🤨 The controversy. ... he said what!?

The Patriots drafted Brady in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft, and he spent the better part of two decades with the club. They're considered the greatest NFL dynasty to ever exist, winning six Super Bowls. 

And yet, on his Let's Go! podcast with Jim Gray, Brady said "I don't have a dog in the fight in this one. May the best team win."

It's a real fence-sitting stance to take on. The statement shocked players, fans, former teammates, media personalities. More of less everyone in the sporting world. It went down about as well as a lead balloon.

🔮 Tom Brady's Super Bowl 2026 prediction

Naturally, a man that wouldn't initially choose to back his former team as the winner of today's Big Game hasn't come right out and given a prediction for the game. But he's left some breadcrumbs on why he thinks the Pats can get the job done, at the very least. 

Drake Maye is leading the new chapter for the Pats, and Brady seems to have faith in the signal caller. He's referred to Maye's season as "wonderful," and stated that Maye was running the same system he did under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

During his initial fence sitting comments, Brady did heap some praise on the team. He noted that he was "glad everyone's embraced the Mike Vrabel regime" and "the Patriots are back."

And during that Let's Go! appearance, he also discussed what we all know: the defense will have to be the team's x-factor.

🗳️ A flip-flop that would impress even a seasoned politician

And Brady's stance lasted about four days. The backlash from all corners was so intense that you have to wonder if even Gisele might have reached out. And while I'm sure Brady couldn't care less what the media and random X (Twitter) users had to say, surely pushback from Vince Wilfork, Tedy Bruschi, and maybe even Asante Samuel, as well as current players, moved the needle. Less helpful again is that many of those who called him out won Super Bowls with both him and the current Pats coach, Mike Vrabel.

Brady went from being Rob-Lowe-sitting-in-an-NFL-cap-wants-everyone-to-have-fun to being an ardent Patriots supporter. He acknowledged the hard work of the current roster, the new "chapter" in New England, and his longstanding history with the team. 

Brady posted an Instagram story on Friday night, indicating that he had the back of New England owner Robert Kraft, encouraging him to get a seventh ring so they could match. 

🎙️ Broadcaster vs. Legend vs. Owner

It's all pretty complicated by all of the hats Brady wears, and surely he was trying to thread the needle with his first answer. While Brady is and will forever be a Pats legend, a man with a statue outside the stadium, his job now is different. 

Brady is currently employed by FOX as an analyst, and we generally expect them to remain neutral. He's also a minority of the Las Vegas Raiders, and it's pretty rare for owners to be asked to cheer for one team or another in the Big Game. 

And the Raiders thing adds another twist: the team is expected to hire Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak as their next head coach.

And generally, we'd think that it was weird that an owner of a team rooted against the man he was about to hire as his head coach. 

But Brady's legacy supersedes all that, and everyone (including the man himself, now), surely realises that was the case. 

📺 How to watch Super Bowl 2026: Seahawks vs. Patriots

• Date: Sunday, Feb. 8
• Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, Calif.)
• TV: NBC/Peacock

See our full breakdown for how to watch Super Bowl 2026, including TV info and streaming options for Seahawks vs. Patriots in Super Bowl 60.