Tom Brady made a mistake that quickly caught attention, and this time, it was not on the football field. The former NFL star, now working as a broadcaster, had to say sorry again after he wrongly wrote that Tim McCarver had just passed away. In reality, McCarver died back in February 2023. The message came in Brady’s weekly newsletter. He was trying to honor McCarver, who once worked in the same role at Fox. But within minutes of sending it out, the error became clear. A follow-up message was quickly sent to readers explaining that it was a “proofreading mistake.” Still, the damage was done, and Brady had to step forward and explain what really happened.
Tom Brady explains proofreading mistake and issues apology to Tim McCarver’s family after newsletter error
After the confusion, Tom Brady did not stay silent. In his next newsletter, he spoke directly to readers and took full responsibility.“Before we get into this week’s newsletter, I want to take a moment to once again apologize to the McCarver family and all of Tim’s friends and colleagues for the error in the last newsletter referencing his passing as if it had just occurred,” Brady wrote.He then shared how the mistake happened. Brady said he was actually thinking about the anniversary of Tim McCarver’s death when he started writing. But during editing, that key detail was removed and no one caught it before the newsletter was sent.“I had been reflecting on the anniversary of Tim’s passing when I first began to write what became last week’s newsletter,” he explained.“Through the editing and proofreading process, that key phrasing got cut and changed, and then wasn’t caught in time. I feel badly about it, still.”Brady also made it clear he was not making excuses. He said mistakes like this are on him, just like errors during his playing days.“All of that said, there are no excuses. I built my career on doing the work, being prepared, executing at the highest level, and when we fall short, taking responsibility, learning from the mistakes, and doing better next time,” he wrote.The situation stood out because Tim McCarver was not just any figure in baseball. He was a former All-Star catcher who won two World Series titles with the St. Louis Cardinals. Later, he became one of the most recognized voices in the game, calling 24 World Series games across major networks and forming a long partnership with Joe Buck at Fox.Brady, who retired from the NFL in 2022, now holds a similar lead analyst role at Fox. That connection is what made his tribute meaningful, but also why the mistake felt more serious to many readers.