NFL Legend Tom Brady Puts Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions on Notice With Strong Message

Tom Brady had something to say.

Trending News Writer, Athlon Sports
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell

© Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Head coach Dan Campbell and his Detroit Lions reigned supreme in Tom Brady’s Power Rankings for Week 7 of the NFL season. The Lions climbed to the top spot on the list after an impressive 24-9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were No. 1 on Brady’s rankings for Week 6.

The Lions, however, ceded the top spot after Week 8. Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts are the new top team in the league, per Brady. This comes after the Colts cruised to a 38-14 victory against their AFC South rivals, the Tennessee Titans, to improve to 7-1.

NFL Legend Tom Brady
Former NFL quarterback and current Fox Sports analyst Tom Brady looks on before the game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Washington Commanders.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Brady, who himself had a personal rivalry with Peyton Manning and the Colts during his playing days with the New England Patriots, admitted he felt “sick” saying that the AFC might just go through Indianapolis this season. However, with what he has seen from Jones and Co. so far, Brady was left with no choice but to crown them as the No. 1-ranked team after Week 8.

Brady, who previously signed a 10-year, $375 million contract with Fox Sports to be the network’s top NFL analyst, also had a strong message for the Lions.

“The Lions fall out of the top spot by no fault of their own, coming off a bye [week],” Brady said. “We know the Lions love a chip on their shoulder. I hope Dan Campbell has this No. 2 ranking pinned up on the bulletin board all week. Prove me wrong.”

Brady has issued a challenge to Campbell, who holds the honor for the fifth-most wins in Lions franchise history, and his squad as they head into their Week 9 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. The legendary quarterback also said he will be providing coverage for that matchup on Sunday alongside the Fox Sports crew of Kevin Burkhardt, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi.

The Lions host the Vikings at Ford Field on Sunday, with kickoff scheduled at 1 p.m. ET on Fox.   

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About the author

Paolo Songco

Trending News Writer, Athlon Sports

Paolo Songco is a senior writer on Athlon Sports’ breaking and trending news team, where he focuses primarily on the NBA and WNBA while also contributing NFL coverage. With more than a decade of experience in sports media, he has written over 20,000 articles and interviewed athletes such as former NFL star Rob Gronkowski and Olympic silver medalist Samantha Peszek. A graduate of Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Management Information Systems, Paolo is one of Athlon’s most prolific and trusted voices in basketball coverage.