NFL News: Did A Fan Aim A Laser Pointer At Tom Brady During Patriots vs. Chiefs?

Sunday night’s AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots was an all-time classic. Quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady dueled in the fourth quarter, swapping leads before Brady eventually drove his team down the field for the 37-31 win in overtime.

According to the NFL, someone in the stands at Arrowhead Stadium may have tried to tip the game in the Chiefs’ favor. The league is investigating whether or not someone repeatedly shined a laser pointer on Tom Brady during the fourth quarter, the Boston Herald reported.

Fans and pundits noticed the green dot shining on and around Brady’s face during big moments near the end of Sunday’s game. The NFL’s security team is reportedly looking into the matter, league VP of communications Brian McCarthy told the Herald.

KMBC reporter William Joy tweeted video evidence of the incident, in which the green light is plainly visible on Brady as he is about to throw a pass late in the game.

Laser pointers with a sufficient amount of strength can cause damage to the eyes, so there are genuine safety concerns at play here. The FDA advises customers to never point them at other people.

This also is not the first time in recent NFL history that a green laser pointer has been aimed at a quarterback during a game. When Brock Osweiler started for the Houston Texans in 2016, there was a minor controversy after someone aimed a green laser at him during a close loss to the Oakland Raiders.

"There was a couple times it definitely hit me in the eye and it was very noticeable," Osweiler said at the time. "It was just one small factor, but it certainly affected how I was playing and able to see downfield and whatnot."