TAMPA, Fla. — Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady is trying to save thousands of dollars after he was given a $16,444 fine by the NFL for his "unnecessary roughness" action during Tampa Bay's playoff loss against Dallas.
Speaking in his weekly "Let's Go!" podcast on Monday, the Buccaneers quarterback said he has already appealed the hefty fine for attempting to trip Cowboys safety Malik Hooker and is waiting to hear back from the league.
"I'm a little disappointed [about the fine] though because I tried to tackle him with my right shoulder and missed him [Hooker]," Brady said. "I wasn't going to try to stick my arm out so I was trying to get him on the ground but I missed him completely. I didn't even hit him. I tried to trip him but I didn't."
The G.O.A.T. also said that the NFL needs to give more clarity on the fine since he didn't touch Hooker during that play.
"I don't know how you can get fined for something that didn't even happen," Brady said. "Are they fining an intention? It's like targeting, and you miss the person you hit, and they still call it targeting. So, I got to figure out and understand why this is the case."
Brady also called for the NFL Players Association to be stronger, hinting that it may have helped him not receive the fine.
According to CBS Sports, the 45-year-old earned a $46,500 paycheck for making the wild-card round, but if the fine stands, he'll have to give up about 35% of that money.
Wide receiver Chris Godwin's fumble in the third quarter of the playoff game led to the eventual fine for Brady. Hooker recovered the ball for the Cowboys and Brady attempted to slide tackle the Dallas safety while he was returning it.
Although the fumble was ruled out as the officiating crew agreed that Godwin was down before the ball was out of his hands, Brady's fine still stood.
The NFL also said that Tampa Bay center Ryan Jensen, who suited up for the playoff game for the first time this season after tearing his MCL during preseason, was fined $8,333.33 for his "unnecessary roughness" on the same play against the Cowboys.
If Brady's appeal gets denied, it will be the third time in his career that he has been fined, including a punishment in Week 5 for attempting to kick Atlanta pass rusher Grady Jarrett.
The two-time NFC South division winner also declined to talk about the future of his football career in an indelicate articulation.
"If I knew what I was going to f****** do, I'd have already f****** done it," Brady said. "I'm taking it a day at a time."
Brady will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and if he doesn't decide to resign with the Bucs or retire, there will be plenty of interest in a player who turns 46 in training camp next season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.