Tom Brady showered with boos during surprise Indy 500 appearance and he fires back with classic shade

SPEEDWAY, INDIANA: Tom Brady may be retired, but it seems he’s still triggering Indianapolis Colts fans like it’s 2007. 

The seven-time Super Bowl champ made a surprise appearance at the Indy 500 pre-race ceremony on Sunday, May 25 — and the Indianapolis crowd did not roll out the red carpet.

A chorus of boos erupted from the crowd as soon as Brady was introduced onstage, proving that Colts fans have not forgotten the pain he’s caused them over the years.

It's worth noting that Brady owned the Colts for the better part of two decades, racking up a 16-4 all-time record against them in both regular season and playoff showdowns. For Colts Nation, it was like watching the same horror movie on loop.

So when he appeared at the beloved Indianapolis Motor Speedway, their response was a chorus of boos. 

Tom Brady vs Indianapolis Colts: A timeless rivalry

The tension between the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts is written in football folklore — Tom Brady vs Peyton Manning was the stuff of legend, with every face-off feeling like a heavyweight title match.

Then came the Deflategate scandal. Following the Patriots’ 2014 playoff win over the Colts, accusations flew that Brady had used under-inflated footballs. 

The NFL launched an investigation, and Brady was suspended for a few games despite having denied any wrongdoing. The Patriots were also fined and lost draft picks, according to The Daily Beast.

But despite all the drama, there’s still a lot of respect. Brady and Manning may have been bitter rivals, but they also elevated the game like no one else.

Alex Palou makes history at the Indy 500

While Tom Brady was busy getting booed, the Indy 500 found its headline-making winner in Alex Palou. The two-time defending IndyCar champ came into the race on fire — he’d won four of the first five races of the 2025 season. But the Indy 500 was the one prize that had always eluded him.

That changed on May 25 when Palou became the first Spaniard to ever win the iconic race.

"I cannot believe it. What an amazing day. What an amazing race," he said after his victory. "It was tough. Tough conditions out there, especially if you were like, third or fourth in the pack. Even leading, the fuel consumption was super high, so they didn't want me to lead. I wanted to lead, honestly, so yeah, made it happen."

While Palou was making history, Brady was leading the drivers out. Meanwhile, the boos appeared to just bounce off of him.

Tom Brady's perfect clapback to the shower of boos

Tom Brady responded to getting booed by the Indy 500 crowd with the same icy composure he used to crush their playoff dreams.

"PS: It was nice to get one more successful drive in front of a bunch of Colts fans," he posted on his Instagram Stories.

He also shared a moment with fellow GOAT Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time NASCAR Cup champ who drove the pace car and whom Brady clearly holds in high regard.

In a post, the NFL star wrote, "💍 x 14 What an incredible experience at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend." 

"Thanks to the @foxsports family for putting on an incredible show, and to my friend, the best driver in the world and 7x champion @jimmiejohnson for letting me tag along as we led out the pack. I’ll be back, and next time I’m driving!!!" he added.