Tom Brady caught a lot of flack for “Deflategate” during the 2014 playoffs with the New England Patriots, which resulted in a suspension for four games, and recently retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce defended Brady on his New Heights podcast.

“I don't even think Tom should have gotten in trouble for deflating footballs. I'm pro deflating footballs,” Jason Kelce said, according to Lauren Campbell of MassLife.com. “I'll say it. I'll say it. I am pro deflating footballs. He outsmarted people. Why the f*** does it matter how much air is in that f*****. If you're throwing it and catching it, who the f*** cares?

It is clear that Jason Kelce has a strong opinion on the matter, and that might be fair, given he was the one snapping the ball every play. He did not stop his rant there, saying that Tom Brady should not have been penalized for being smart.

“We're all mad because he had the common sense to f***ing take a little air out so the receivers could catch the f***ing thing? Why is that against the rules?” Kelce said, according to Campbell. “Y'all could have taken the air out, too.

“You guys could have taken the air out, too. You just weren't smart enough. So why am I getting penalized because you're f***ing dummies? It's a rule, but it's a stupid rule, though. … You're taking away intelligence.”

A ‘Deflategate' recap

“Deflategate” came from the Indianapolis Colts complaining of the Patriots' balls being underinflated in the 2014 AFC Championship game. The Patriots won that game 45-7, and the prevailing thought of many is that the underinflated footballs did not impact the outcome of that game.

There was a drawn-out investigation that lasted over a year and made its way to the United States court system. Brady was eventually suspended for four games to start the 2016 NFL season as a result of the drawn-out process.

New England started the season 3-1 despite Brady's absence, and that was the first glimpse we got of Jimmy Garoppolo. Jacoby Brissett also played in those games.

The Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl that season, pulling off an incredible comeback from a 28-3 deficit in the Super Bowl against the Atlanta Falcons.

Brady went on to win six Super Bowls in total with the Patriots, adding a seventh with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his career. Brady could have had seven with the Patriots, but Jason Kelce's Eagles defeated New England in the 2018 season. That was the first Super Bowl win in Eagles franchise history and the only one of Kelce's career.

Both Brady and Kelce will be in the Hall of Fame one day. Kelce is vehement in his defense of Brady in the “Deflategate” matters.