“Tom Brady had an IV in his arm and a 103-degree temperature”: Michael Jordan wasn’t the only legend who had a memorable flu-game as NFL GOAT worked through sickness in 2004 AFC Championship

Tom Brady

Tom Brady continues to exceed our expectations of what defines greatness, and his flu-game might just rival Michael Jordan in terms of insanity.

The Buccaneers quarterback is already proving that he may not be human as at 44 years old, he currently leads the league in passing yards (3,771) and passing touchdowns (34). He’s the favorite to win the MVP award, and the Buccaneers are currently third in the NFC at 9-3.

The Bucs are looking to defend their Super Bowl run from a year ago, and so far, they look like they’re in good position to do that. Sure, there have been some downs this season, but come playoff time, nobody should be underestimating this team.

When we think of Brady’s legacy, there are several stories that come to mind immediately (28-3 comeback vs. Falcons, seven Super Bowls, etc.), and now, it might be time to add his flu-game into those conversations.

Also Read: “If Arch Manning wants to win the Naty, he should go to Alabama”: Peyton Manning and Eli Manning’s nephew receives a visit from top ranked college football team’s Bill O’Brien

Tom Brady had a similar flu-game experience like Michael Jordan

It was game five of the 1997 NBA Finals. The Chicago Bulls were locked in a tight battle with the Utah Jazz as Utah had just tied the series up 2-2 with a 78-73 victory.

With a potentially series defining game coming up, Jordan was hit with perhaps the worst possible luck. He was suffering from flu-like symptoms right before the game, appearing dehydrated, exhaustion, and puking. Last year, we found out that the flu-game was actually the ‘food poisoning game’ as Jordan had ordered a pizza the night before that had left him severely ill.

Nevertheless, the Bulls legend was able to shake it off and he played an astounding 44 minutes while dropping 38 points, five assists, and seven rebounds. The Bulls won that game 90-88 and finished off the series in the next game, winning 4-2. It’s a legendary tale, one that’s still told all over the world today.

Well, there may be one more flu-game that you’ll have to talk about now. Going up against the incredible 15-1, #1 seeded Pittsburgh Steelers, Brady and the New England Patriots had a tall order ahead of them if they wanted to make it back to the Super Bowl after winning a couple years ago.

That task was made even more difficult when you consider that Brady would have to play the game through a flu. That’s right. Before the game, Tom Brady was hooked up to an IV and was running 103-degree fever. Pittsburgh in January is an extremely cold place to be, and when you’re fighting a fever, being out in the cold is probably the last thing you’d want to be doing. However, Brady did just that.

He lit up the Steelers vaunted defense for 207 yards on 14 of 21 passing for two touchdowns. The Pats won 41-27, making it to the Super Bowl where they took down the Carolina Panthers in a thrilling 32-29 victory. Brady called that win the most satisfying non-Super Bowl win of his career.

“If I would say there was a perfect game of football played at the highest level, I’d say that would be the game,” Brady would say. “If we could replicate that, we would never lose a game. It was the most satisfying win, non-Super Bowl, that I had in 19 years of playing football.”

He also remembers being unsure of if he could even play the game at all. “I actually had the flu pretty bad the night before the game. I was in slow motion, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to play.”

Also Read: “If Arch Manning wants to win the Naty, he should go to Alabama”: Peyton Manning and Eli Manning’s nephew receives a visit from top ranked college football team’s Bill O’Brien

Post Edited By: Ashish Priyadarshi
Basketball Chicago Bulls Michael Jordan NBA New England Patriots NFL Pittsburgh Steelers Tom Brady

About the author

Ashish Priyadarshi

Ashish Priyadarshi is The SportsRush's content manager and editor. Ashish freelanced for 1 year in the NFL division before taking on an editorial role in the company. He then tacked on managing content while adding on a writing role in the NBA division. Ashish has been closely following the NFL and NBA since the 2012 season when the Patriots lost the Super Bowl and Derrick Rose was at the height of his powers. Since then, Ashish has focused on honing his knowledge for both leagues in, even writing crossover pieces. In his free time, Ashish is an avid basketball player, he loves to watch movies and TV shows, immersing himself in the cinematic world. Ashish studies computer science and data science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and would love to mesh his love for sports with his technical skills.

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