Tom Brady sounds off on NFL’s $8.5m fines while eviscerating Raiders

Jun 30, 2026 - 13:15
Tom Brady sounds off on NFL’s $8.5m fines while eviscerating Raiders

In 2025, the NFL handed out $8.53 million in fines across 428 player and team infractions.

As high as that figure may seem on the surface, shockingly, the total was down nearly 30 percent from 2024.

Alec Pierce #14 of the Indianapolis Colts pleads with a referee during the NFL 2025 game between Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 26, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The NFL issued $8.5 million in fines last season, which was down on the previous year
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The Washington Commanders received the most fines out of the 32 teams, with $1.45 million over 19 infractions.

The largest chunk of the Commanders’ total came from one major suspension, when Daron Payne punched Detroit Lions’ wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, resulting in a $1.1m fine.

The Indianapolis Colts were the least fined team in the league, paying out just $32,352 in four infractions.

Tom Brady is tied to the league in many ways.

Not only is he widely regarded as the NFL GOAT, he is also FOX’s lead analyst and a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, although that hasn’t stopped him from making his opinions on the league well-known.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion recently hit out at the league’s fine system during an appearance on the ‘Stick to Football’ podcast.

“What they start doing is they start fining you $50,000, $75,000,” Brady said.

“And I’m saying, like, I hate that. I hate the fact that, like, you sign a contract for $2 million a year, $5 million a year, and it’s so easy for someone to say, ‘Give me $75,000. Give me $50,000.

“Oh, it’s your second offense? That’s $100,000. That’s your third offense, $200,000.’

“What job is like that in the world? Where you make a mistake at your job, and they come in, they go, ‘Hey, we’re gonna take your salary away.’

“And then people are like, ‘Yeah, you should take his salary away.’”

Tom Brady is seen at the CardVault by Tom Brady opening on June 20, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri.
Brady doesn’t agree with the league’s fine system, claiming that a regular job wouldn’t take salary away from an employee who makes a mistake
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Patriots running back Stevan Ridley (#22) is taken down on a third down running play, as the Ravens' Ed Reed (#20) sails over Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (#12) as he tries to get in on the tackle. The New England Patriots visited  the Baltimore Ravens in a regular season NFL game at M&B Stadium.
Brady was fined just twice during his legendary 23-year career
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Brady himself was fined twice in his NFL career.

In 2013, he was fined $10,000 for an attempted kick on former Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed.

In 2022, he was fined $11,139 for also trying to kick Atlanta Falcons defensive end Grady Jarrett.

Tom Brady slams Raiders 2025 season

As Raiders minority owner, Brady was clearly unimpressed by the team’s 2025 season.

Las Vegas finished 3-14 under Pete Carroll, who lasted just one year in the head coach position before being fired.

“I would expect a lot of improvement from where it’s been,” Brady added.

“Last year, we just underperformed in every area. And it’s everybody’s fault. That’s the reality. There’s nobody who did a good job.

Brady said that nobody did a good job on the Raiders in 2025
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There’s not one player in the organization, there’s not anybody involved that did the job to the level that it needs to be done at. And everybody needs to improve.

It starts with me, and it filters down to the rest of the players on the field, and they’ve got to go out there, and ultimately they’ve got to perform at a high level.”  

The Raiders’ underwhelming season landed them the first overall pick in the NFL Draft and a highly-regarded new head coach in Klint Kubiak.

With said No.1 pick, the Raiders selected quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who was coming off a perfect 16-0 season and a national championship with Indiana.

With Kubiak and Mendoza now in the building, the future certainly looks brighter for a Raiders franchise who are chasing their first Super Bowl since 1983.

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