Ex-Jets star Mo Lewis defends infamous tackle, blames Drew Bledsoe for sparking Tom Brady's historic NFL rise

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In 2001, Mo Lewis delivered a tackle that altered NFL history.

Lewis, who spent his entire pro career with the New York Jets, tackled then-New England Patriots starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe. The hit forced Bledsoe to exit the game, giving Tom Brady an opportunity to play. Brady took advantage of the chance, and Bledsoe never reclaimed the starting job.

While Lewis appeared to receive the lion's share of the blame for sparking the two-decade run of unprecedented success Brady produced with the New England Patriots, the retired linebacker argued the fault should actually be assigned to Bledsoe.

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Former New England Patriots quarterbacks Drew Bledsoe, left, and Tom Brady, right, talk during pregame warmups between the Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills at Lumen Field Oct 27, 2024, in Seattle. (Joe Nicholson/Imagn Images)

In longtime NFL reporter Gary Myers' book, "Brady vs. Belichick," Lewis pointed to Bledsoe’s decision to scramble on the play.

"[Bledsoe] just signed a $100 million deal to be what type of quarterback? A passing quarterback, correct? Had he not got outside the pocket and ran with the ball, would we be talking about this? Who caused the event? The person who was with the ball," Lewis noted.

"Now he's doing what he didn't sign up for. He signed up to be a passing quarterback. What do I do? I stop the people with the ball. It's just another play for me. But it's a different play for him."

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Lewis gave chase as Bledsoe