Tom Brady at the center of outrage following possible offensive slip

American football quarterback Tom Brady found himself at the centre of an unexpected social-media uproar.

On Sunday, a brief verbal slip during the closing minutes of the Eagles-Cowboys matchup led some viewers to believe he had uttered an offensive term on live television.

The former NFL player was criticising a late-game sack of Jalen Hurts when he stumbled over his words while identifying Dallas defender Osa Odighizuwa’s path into the backfield. Brady began to say, “Odighizuwa just blasted through Nicker…” before quickly correcting himself with, “Excuse me, Landon Dickerson right there.”

The moment was brief, yet lasted to set off a wave of online rewinds, slowed-down clips and replays as fans dissected what they believed they heard. Some viewers insisted the slip sounded inappropriate, while others immediately pushed back, arguing the broadcaster had simply mixed names mid-sentence.

One fan commented, It echoed a broader sentiment that was exaggerated. He said ‘nicker’ like he was about to say Nickerson; it was just a tongue slip.

This is not the first time Brady has been linked to unverified claims about language used during games. After Super Bowl LV, rumours circulated when Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu suggested Brady said something he “wouldn’t repeat.”

Those allegations were ultimately dismissed when NFL Network’s Michael Irvin confirmed both players had been mic’d up and no inappropriate comment existed.

While the brief broadcast moment dominated social discussion, the game itself delivered one of the Cowboys’ most dramatic turnarounds in team history. Dallas erased a 21-0 deficit behind Dak Prescott’s 354 passing yards and two touchdowns, a performance that also moved him into first place on the franchise’s all-time passing list. George Pickens added 146 receiving yards, with CeeDee Lamb contributing 75 more as Dallas kept its postseason hopes alive.

Meanwhile, the Eagles faltered after their early surge; their final seven full drives ended in five punts, a fumble and a missed field goal, while 14 personalities added to their unravelling.