Joe Montana gave absolutely honest assessment of Tom Brady’s Patriots Deflategate scandal

Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady was suspended for the first six games of the 2016 season due to his role in Deflategate.

The Patriots were caught purposely deflating footballs in their 45-7 AFC Championship victory over the Indianapolis Colts the season prior. Brady was allegedly involved in the scandal and destroyed his iPhone to obstruct evidence during the case, which resulted in a suspension.

Former five-time Super Bowl winning champion Joe Montana spoke about Deflatgate in an interview with Radio Row during Super Bowl XLIX in 2015. He thought that Brady had knowledge of the balls being deflated. Montana said:

"I mean, it's easy to figure out who did it. I mean, did Tom do it? No, but Tom likes the balls that way, obviously, or you wouldn't have 11 of them that way without him complaining because as a quarterback, you know how you like the balls. If it doesn't feel like that, something's wrong.

"The quarterbacks don't touch the footballs. If I ever want a ball a certain way, I don't do it myself. So somebody did it for him. But it's not that – I don't know why everybody's making a big deal of it trying to figure out who did it. It's pretty simple. If it was done, it was done for a reason and there's only one guy that does it. Nobody else cares what the ball feels like."

Tom Brady won the very next Super Bowl after being suspended for Deflategate

Tom Brady during Super Bowl LIII - New England Patriots v Los Angeles Rams

Tom Brady missed the first four games of the 2016 season as a result of Deflategate.

Brady finished the season with an 11-1 record in the 12 games he started for the New England Patriots after his suspension. He threw for 3,554 yards, 28 touchdowns, two interceptions and finished the season with a 112.2 passer rating.

New England won the AFC East with a 14-2 record and were AFC Champions. They faced the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI, where the Patriots won, 34-28 in overtime. They overcame a 25-point lead as they came back being down 28-3.

It's safe to say Brady got the last laugh as he led the Patriots to another Super Bowl victory.

If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Joe Montana, freep.com, and H/T Sportskeeda.