Skip Bayless unleashes on Tom Brady for taking 'cowardly way out' in Jake Paul interview
Skip Bayless unleashes on Tom Brady for taking 'cowardly way out' in Jake Paul interview
Skip Bayless has gone from Tom Brady defender to public critic.
The polarizing sports commentator called out the seven-time Super Bowl-winning former NFL quarterback for recent comments made regarding rookie Shedeur Sanders. According to Bayless, Brady played a part in the Raiders' decision to pass on Sanders in the 2025 NFL draft.
Sanders was projected to be a first-round pick by many draft analysts, but he ended up falling all the way to the fifth round before finally being taken by the Cleveland Browns with the 144th pick. Brady vehemently denied Bayless' claims when appearing on Logan Paul's "Impaulsive" podcast.
"I wasn't a part of any evaluation process," said Brady. "...That's the problem with media, anybody can say whatever the [expletive] they want and get away with it. It's kind of unfortunate because they're actually used to be a lot of integrity in media. There's way less now because everyone needs crazy voices to get heard."
Bayless didn't waste an opportunity to clap back at Brady with a long video posted to social media.
"In the end, it wasn't like Brady actually called me out because he didn't call me out by name on the Jake Paul podcast," said Bayless. "He just said that was wrong, and by translation, of course, I'm wrong. Tom did it with the big, broad brush. He condemned the media. He took the cowardly way out. Just take me on, I don't care. I can take it because I'm right."
The Raiders traded for veteran quarterback Geno Smith back in March, and they waited all the way until the sixth round of the draft to take rookie quarterback Cam Miller.
Brady has a personal relationship with Sanders as a mentor, and given his ties with the Raiders, it's fair to question if he went to bat for the young quarterback behind the scenes.
However, that would also be assuming that Brady's reach within the organization impacts personnel decisions, which there hasn't been a clear indication of since he became a minority owner. Brady isn't the general manager or head coach of the Raiders.
The ultimate decision on who to draft was likely out of his hands.
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The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in one year, and we expect to see plenty of top players at the 48-team tournament across the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer. While there are still spots up for grabs (only 13 countries have officially qualified), big names like Argentina's Lionel Messi and Brazil's Vinícius Júnior are set to appear. Other elite playmakers like France's Kylian Mbappe and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo should join them, while youngsters like Spain's Lamine Yamal could be set for a breakout summer. Looking ahead to next year, these 26 players (listed in alphabetical order) could define the 2026 World Cup. FOX Sports soccer reporters Doug McIntyre and Laken Litman break down why we're excited to see those stars. Let's get into it! _____ Why he makes the list: Alvarez scored 29 goals across all competitions in his first season with Atlético Madrid. He's a difference-maker, technical on the ball and has much more potential to grow into for both club and country. 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If they can win a sixth crown in 2026, Raphinha will be a big reason. _____ Why he makes the list: Rodri tore his ACL against Arsenal in September, but made his long-awaited return and played his first minutes since the injury with Manchester City in May. Just how detrimental was his absence? Man City struggled without the reigning Ballon d'Or winner, and lost the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace this spring. Now that the world's best defensive midfielder is back, Man City has a chance to win a trophy this summer when it competes at the FIFA Club World Cup. What this World Cup '26 would mean: Spain is already a favorite to win the 2026 World Cup, with its young stars like Lamine Yamal and Pedri making the headlines. But La Roja was upset by Portugal in the recent Nations League finals, which was decided by a penalty shootout. Spain didn't have Rodri, however, and it is a different team when he's in the midfield. 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However, he's still only 24 and as long as he stays fit and in form, will have more major tournaments ahead of him. _____ Why he makes the list: After helping Leverkusen to an undefeated Bundesliga season in 2023-24 and the club's first-ever German top flight title, the attacking playmaker, 22, appears set to join English Premier League champions for the season ahead of the '26 World Cup. What this World Cup '26 would mean: Four time world champion Germany hasn't been able to even survive the group stage at the past two World Cups. There's no doubt that Writz and the rest of Die Mannschaft will be bent on ending that embarrassing streak next summer. _____ Why he makes the list: Still just 17, Yamal already might be the best player on the planet. The silky smooth attacker played a key role in helping La Roja win the European Championship last summer by scoring a spectacular goal in the semifinal win over France, then followed that up by leading Barca to Spanish title and the Champions League semis. No wonder he's on the Ballon d'Or short list this year. What this World Cup '26 would mean: For all those accomplishments, Yamal still isn't yet a household name in quite the way Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe are. One reason for that? Yamal has yet to play in a World Cup. He'll become a bona fide global superstar next summer, though, on a team that is more than capable of lifting the trophy. Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman . Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ ByDougMcIntyre . recommended Get more from FIFA Men's World Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
