Saleh OK with Jets getting autographs from the GOAT

Rookie Jets corner Brandin Echols asked Tom Brady to autograph the football he intercepted Sunday.

Brandin Echols picked off Tom Brady on Sunday.

How many rookie corners have actually done that? That’s right — not many.

But here’s the kicker: Echols asked Brady to autograph the ball after the game! Despite the fact the Jets lost on a last-minute touchdown! Read the room, Brandin! That’s pure carelessness!

Jets rookie CB Brandin Echols picked off Brady on Sunday and had the GOAT sign the ball postgame ? pic.twitter.com/90Sh10t7I9

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) January 3, 2022

Of course, I’m not actually worked up over this, and anyone who is must relax.

Even Echols’ head coach spoke highly of the move.

“I get it because there’s a lot of fans who watch and care so much about the result of the game and so they want the players to care, and they want to visually see that. So, optically, I can see how some people can take offense from it, but the reality is, the NFL is a brotherhood,” Robert Saleh told Brian Costello of the New York Post and the rest of the media Monday. “These guys all know each other. They talk to each other on the phone, they call each other, they work out with one another. This is a huge fraternity of brothers and they just spent four hours going at it on the football field, they spent all week prepping on how they’re just going to absolutely embarrass one another and so at the end of the game, the jersey exchanges, those conversations that they’re having, that is a very cool, genuine moment that’s happening between players.

“I think it speaks volumes. One, it’s a little ballsy by a rookie to do it, but I think it speaks volumes about Tom Brady and his character. Major competitor, for him to sign the ball, I think it speaks volumes to him because I don’t care what anyone says, he picked off Tom, like that’s a childhood dream. That’s one of the greatest of all time and for Tom to humor him with the autograph and to do that for him, I think is pretty cool on his part. And again, I have no problem with it, not at all, because I know what those guys go through and trust me, Echols cares that we lost and he cares that Tom had a hell of a game. But to be able to pick off a guy like Tom Brady, how many guys can say that, right?”

For those who don’t know, you can be excited about picking off a future Hall of Fame quarterback (as a rookie) and still care that your team lost — the two scenarios aren’t mutually exclusive.

If you’re whining, go take a nap or something.

An interception and a Tom Brady-autographed football in the same day? Come on now — be happy for Echols.

Follow Ryan Honey on Twitter: @RyanHoneyESNY

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