Tom Brady takes to TikTok to finally admit what happened on fourth down in Chicago

Published Jun 3, 2021 1:59 pm ET

Tom Brady might be responsible for the biggest gaffe-turned-GIF ever, and he’s finally clearing up what went through his mind in Chicago last fall.

On Wednesday, Brady took to TikTok to poke some fun at himself about that infamous moment he lost track of downs against the Bears in Week 5 of the 2020 NFL regular season.

Brady, who apparently figured out how to use the app’s green screen feature, admits to the fourth-down confusion in the video while reenacting the moment by holding up four fingers in the air and sharing a laugh.

"You guys remember this one?" Brady asked his two million TikTok followers. "Fourth quarter, last chance against Chicago. I thought it was the second to last chance in Chicago, but apparently not.

"I don’t think I’ve ever been as confused as I am in this moment right here. Look at that face."

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Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we?

In Week 5, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – who were trailing the Bears by just one point – found themselves on their own 25-yard line with 1:13 remaining in the game. Brady attempted a comeback and picked up a first down on the first play, but three of his four passes were incompletions, and the Bucs' drive was over just as quickly as it began, ending with a turnover on downs.

But, Brady didn't leave the field right away.

Thinking it was third down (when it was really fourth down), the five-time Super Bowl MVP held up four fingers in the air and looked around confused, which led to confusion among announcers, players and onlookers.

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After realizing there was no additional down to be played, Brady left the field, but the memes – and the critics – already started piling in.

An error occurred while retrieving the Tweet. It might have been deleted.

An error occurred while retrieving the Tweet. It might have been deleted.

An error occurred while retrieving the Tweet. It might have been deleted.

An error occurred while retrieving the Tweet. It might have been deleted.

An error occurred while retrieving the Tweet. It might have been deleted.

An error occurred while retrieving the Tweet. It might have been deleted.

After the game ended, Brady was asked multiple times about the play in question, but the Bucs QB never gave a direct answer as to whether or not he was aware of what down it was.

"I knew we needed a chunk and I was thinking about more yardage and then, you know, it was just, it was bad execution," Brady said in response to one of the inquiries.

"You’re up against the clock and I knew we had to gain a chunk so I should have been thinking more first down instead of chunk on that down," he said in response to a follow-up question.

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Brady did his best to glaze over the topic, but head coach Bruce Arians told the media in the post-game press conference that Brady was well aware of what down it was on the field.

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After many months of the sports world indulging in Brady's mishap, the seven-time Super Bowl champion got in on the fun himself, posting a LeBron James-inspired version of his meme seen around the world after the Lakers legend won his fourth NBA championship last fall.

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Here's to hoping TikTokTom becomes a thing for the foreseeable future.

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