Buccaneers’ Tom Brady left bleeding after picking up first career unsportsmanlike conduct penalty

No one makes Tom Brady bleed his own blood.

The Bucs QB was whistled for the first unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of his career during the NFC South champions’ divisional-round matchup with the Rams.

Brady was flagged by Shawn Hochuli’s crew after yelling at the officials following an 8-yard completion to Mike Evans. The veteran quarterback believed that Rams pass rusher Von Miller hit him high and late after he released the ball.

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Below is a look at the hit in question.

Miller wasn’t too late on the play, nor did it look like he hit Brady with excessive force. However, Miller hit Brady up near the helmet, so that appears to be what the veteran quarterback was complaining about.

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As such, Brady may have had a reason to be miffed. After all, he was left with a bloody lip after the play.

Before that unsportsmanlike conduct call, 58 accepted penalties had been charged to Brady during his career. They were mostly for intentional grounding and delay of game. He was only flagged for unnecessary roughness once, and that came back during his third NFL season in 2002.

Brady’s penalty proved costly to the Buccaneers, as it pushed them back 15 yards. While Brady and Leonard Fournette combined to create a first down during the ensuing second-and-17 play, the Buccaneers stalled out shortly thereafter. Kicker Ryan Succop then missed a 48-yard field goal to end the fruitless drive and allowed the Rams to maintain a 17-3 lead.

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Brady’s penalty was also ironic, as he had spoken earlier in the week about the favorable treatment he has received from referees during his career. 

“I do know that [the officials] probably let me get away with a lot of unsportsmanlike conducts, talking smack to the other team and talking smack to the refs when I don’t think I get the right call,” Brady said on Jim Gray’s “Let’s Go!” podcast. “I’m kind of a pain in their a— if you don’t already know that.”

He didn’t get away with that behavior on Sunday afternoon.