Brady Fan Returns Historic Ball, Forfeits Big Payday

Tom Brady did something on Sunday no NFL quarterback has ever done—he threw the 600th touchdown pass of his career. (Watch it here.) And then things got a little weird. Receiver Mike Evans, apparently unaware he had just made a historic catch, handed the ball to a fan in the stands, reports Sports Illustrated. That sent Tampa Bay Buccaneers staffers scrambling to get it back. The fan, identified as 29-year-old Byron Kennedy, obliged, and can be seen here handing it back upon request. The gesture may have cost him a small fortune, reports Yahoo Sports.

The Bucs offered Kennedy a replacement ball, along with a $1,000 gift certificate for the team store, tweeted reporter Greg Auman of the Athletic. The final reward appears to be in flux, but it's safe to say it will be nowhere near what Kennedy could have received had he kept the ball. "Easily $500,000-plus" and likely "closer to $750,000," Ezra Levine of sports memorabilia company Collectible tells Yahoo. Kennedy tells the Tampa Bay Times he was "hesitant" to give the ball back, "but I knew how much it meant to Tom." Brady himself said he appreciated the "pretty cool" gesture after the game. “He’s going to get something nice in return, so we’ll get him a helmet or a couple of jerseys or some other stuff,” the QB said. “It was really cool of (Kennedy) to do that.” (More Tom Brady stories.)