Biggest NFL Controversies Through the Years: Deflategate, Protests and More

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Biggest NFL Controversies Through the Years: Deflategate, Protests and More

Flag on the play. From Tom Brady’s Deflategate to Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem protests, the NFL has been at the center of several controversies through the years. In 2016, Kaepernick sparked debates among both fans and fellow players when he didn’t stand for the national anthem before taking the field with the San Francisco 49ers. At the time, the athlete’s peaceful protest was largely criticized, but he explained his point of view in August of that year. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color,” he said in an interview with NFL Media. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” When Kaepernick began his demonstrations, Black Lives Matter protests were breaking out across the United States in response to police brutality incidents, such as the death of Philando Castile. The quarterback’s team issued a statement addressing his decision to kneel, highlighting a person’s individual rights. “The national anthem is and always will be a special part of the pre-game ceremony,” the 49ers noted. “It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens. In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose and participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem.” Kaepernick was eventually made a free agent, but he never signed a contract with another NFL team. In 2017, he filed a grievance alleging that the league intentionally prevented him from playing football. A settlement was reached in 2019 and Kaepernick continues to be a vocal advocate for racial equality. Brady, for his part, was implicated in a scandal of a different scale before announcing his retirement from professional sports in February 2022. The former New England Patriots star was accused of ordering the deliberate deflation of footballs used in the January 2015 AFC championship game. Brady and the Pats went on to win the Super Bowl one month later — and some viewers were quick to claim the team cheated their way to the top. Brady denied having any involvement in the controversy, asserting in a 2015 press conference, “I would never do anything outside of the rules of play.” Both the Massachusetts-based team and its then-QB faced consequences following an investigation, and Deflategate is still frequently made fun of to this day. In January 2022, Aaron Rodgers referenced the blunder during a conversation with Canadian network Sportsnet. “This is too firm for the Patriots,” he teased as a reporter handed him a football. Scroll down for a look back at some of the biggest NFL scandals and controversies: [podcast_block]

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Biggest NFL Controversies Through the Years: Deflategate, Protests and More

Flag on the play. From Tom Brady’s Deflategate to Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem protests, the NFL has been at the center of several controversies through the years. In 2016, Kaepernick sparked debates among both fans and fellow players when he didn’t stand for the national anthem before taking the field with the San Francisco 49ers. At the time, the athlete’s peaceful protest was largely criticized, but he explained his point of view in August of that year. “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color,” he said in an interview with NFL Media. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” When Kaepernick began his demonstrations, Black Lives Matter protests were breaking out across the United States in response to police brutality incidents, such as the death of Philando Castile. The quarterback’s team issued a statement addressing his decision to kneel, highlighting a person’s individual rights. “The national anthem is and always will be a special part of the pre-game ceremony,” the 49ers noted. “It is an opportunity to honor our country and reflect on the great liberties we are afforded as its citizens. In respecting such American principles as freedom of religion and freedom of expression, we recognize the right of an individual to choose and participate, or not, in our celebration of the national anthem.” Kaepernick was eventually made a free agent, but he never signed a contract with another NFL team. In 2017, he filed a grievance alleging that the league intentionally prevented him from playing football. A settlement was reached in 2019 and Kaepernick continues to be a vocal advocate for racial equality. Brady, for his part, was implicated in a scandal of a different scale before announcing his retirement from professional sports in February 2022. The former New England Patriots star was accused of ordering the deliberate deflation of footballs used in the January 2015 AFC championship game. Brady and the Pats went on to win the Super Bowl one month later — and some viewers were quick to claim the team cheated their way to the top. Brady denied having any involvement in the controversy, asserting in a 2015 press conference, “I would never do anything outside of the rules of play.” Both the Massachusetts-based team and its then-QB faced consequences following an investigation, and Deflategate is still frequently made fun of to this day. In January 2022, Aaron Rodgers referenced the blunder during a conversation with Canadian network Sportsnet. “This is too firm for the Patriots,” he teased as a reporter handed him a football. Scroll down for a look back at some of the biggest NFL scandals and controversies: [podcast_block]

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Josh Sills' Indictment

In January 2023, Sills — an offensive guard for the Philadelphia Eagles — was indicted on one count of rape and one count of kidnapping in Ohio. The charges made headlines less than two weeks before Sills' team was set to play in Super Bowl LVII.

The athlete allegedly “engaged in sexual activity that was not consensual and held a victim against her will” in December 2019, the Ohio Attorney General said in a news release. According to the statement, the alleged crime was immediately reported, and the Guernsey County Sheriff's Office conducted a detailed investigation.  

Sills — who joined the Eagles as a free agent in 2022 — was issued a summons to appear in Guernsey County Common Pleas Court on February 16, 2023. 

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Aaron Rodgers' Vaccine Backlash

In late 2021, the Green Bay Packers quarterback raised eyebrows after he owned up to not getting the COVID-19 vaccine despite previously claiming that he was “immunized” against the virus. He and the Wisconsin team were fined for violating the league’s coronavirus protocols, but Rodgers stood his ground.

“I march to the beat of my own drum. I believe strongly in bodily autonomy, [in the] ability to make choices for your body, not to have to acquiesce to some woke culture or crazed group of individuals who say you have to do something,” he said on The Pat McAfee Show in November 2021.

Two months later, he claimed on the same show that sports fans were rooting for his team to lose the 2022 playoffs because of his vaccination status.

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Tom Brady and Deflategate

Brady and the New England Patriots were accused of purposefully deflating the footballs used in their ​​2014 AFC championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. The now-retired quarterback was suspended for four games, a punishment he completed during the 2016 season, and his team was fined $1 million. The Patriots were also forced to forfeit two future draft selections. Despite the negative response from NFL fanatics, Brady and his team went on to win Super Bowl LI amid the controversy.

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Colin Kaepernick Kneeling During the Anthem

The Wisconsin native was playing for the San Francisco 49ers in 2016 when he chose not to stand during the U.S. national anthem at the start of regular season games. The move was a protest against racial injustice and police brutality, but Kaepernick’s bold decision wasn’t received well by many sports lovers. By 2017, the athlete was made a free agent and went unsigned, going on to file a grievance against the NFL later that year. The league reached a confidential settlement with the Kaepernick Publishing founder in February 2019, but he was never signed to another team. 

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Dez Bryant Playoffs Catch

During a 2014 playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, the Dallas Cowboys athlete made a controversial catch that referees ruled incomplete because there was not a “football move” in the play. If the decision had gone the other way, the Texas team would have gotten to restart from the one-yard line. In 2018, the league’s competition committee ruled that the referees made the wrong call.

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Referee Lockout

In 2012, replacement officials took over during the third week of the season after the NFL Referees Association clashed with the league in a labor dispute. An agreement was reached by late September of that year following criticism of the temporary refs’ calls.

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Ray Rice's Suspension

In March 2014, the former Baltimore Ravens athlete was indicted by a grand jury for alleged third-degree aggravated assault of his now-wife, Janay Palmer. He faced a possible jail sentence of three to five years and a fine of up to $15,000. When the NFL season began four months later, Rice was suspended for the first two games. Footage later surfaced of the incident showing the New York native throwing a punch at Palmer and knocking her out, prompting the league to indefinitely suspend Rice. His criminal charges were eventually dropped, with Rice agreeing to complete court-supervised counseling.

The NFL has since changed its policy regarding domestic violence, suspending players for six games for their first offense. A second offense leads to a lifetime ban.

If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.

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New Orleans Saints Bounties

“Bountygate” accused members of the New Orleans-based team of paying bonuses to purposefully injure opposing players between 2009 — the year in which the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV — and 2011. Head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 season, and the organization was fined $500,000 while being forced to forfeit two second-round draft picks. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was suspended indefinitely, along with assistant head coach Joe Vitt, who was suspended for the first six games of the 2012 season.

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Washington Football Team Name Change

Previously known as the Boston Braves, the team moved to Washington, D.C. in 1937 and changed its name. Ever since, many football lovers have taken issue with the offensive name and imagery used by the franchise. It took decades — and the heightened Black Lives Matter conflicts of 2020 — for the moniker to be updated. Briefly known as the Washington Football Team, a decision was made in 2022 to rebrand to the Washington Commanders.

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Antonio Brown's Ups and Downs

In September 2019, Brown was accused of raping his former fitness trainer Britney Taylor in a federal lawsuit, which alleged three incidents of sexual assault. At the time, the athlete’s attorneys denied the claims, calling the lawsuit a “money grab.” Sports Illustrated also reported at the time that the wide receiver had sent “intimidating” messages to a second accuser. Brown had just signed a one-year deal with the Patriots, but he was released amid the scandal. In April 2021, he reached a settlement with Taylor.

Brown’s ups and downs continued with alleged domestic violence incidents in January 2020. After turning himself in, he was charged with felony burglary of a vehicle, misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal mischief in March 2020, pleading no contest three months later. He received two years of probation and was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service, a 13-week anger management counseling program and a psychological evaluation.

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Aaron Hernandez Conviction

The former ​​New England Patriots player was arrested and charged with the murder of Odin Lloyd, who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancée, during the 2013 offseason. The tight end was immediately axed from the Pats and was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2015. At the time, he was given a life sentence without parole, which he served at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Massachusetts. Hernandez died by suicide while in prison in April 2017 and was posthumously diagnosed with CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a traumatic brain injury that can cause behavioral problems.