The Tampa Bay Bucs fan who gave back Tom Brady's 600th career touchdown pass game ball missed a chance to cash in.
Sports memorabilia experts told Yahoo Sports the prized ball is worth as much as a fleet of luxury cars or even a new house.
The ball could fetch “minimum $500,000” at auction, Ken Goldin, founder and executive chairman of Goldin Auctions, said. Chris Ivy of Heritage Auctions echoed that valuation. Ezra Levine, CEO of the sports memorabilia investment platform Collectible declared the ball worth "easily $500,000-plus" and probably "closer to $750,000."
Brady became the first player in NFL history to throw 600 touchdown passes on Sunday in the first half of Tampa Bay’s 38-3 thrashing of the visiting Chicago Bears. Mike Evans caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Brady to increase the Bucs’ lead to 21-0.
Either Evans was unaware of the significance of the touchdown, or he experienced a temporary brain cramp. Evans gave a fan wearing his No. 13 jersey the game ball and the team had to negotiate to get it back.
Mike Evans accidently gave Tom Brady's 600 TD game ball to a fan and they worked the entire break to try to get it back from the fan.
Tony Romo suggested they'll give the fan a date with Gisele 🤣🤣pic.twitter.com/oIYu1xmcdu
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 24, 2021
On the CBS broadcast, Tony Romo and Jim Nantz speculated that the Bucs must have offered “a million” or “a date with Gisele” Bundchen in exchange for the ball. Minutes later, CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson reported the asking price wasn’t nearly that steep.
"[The Tampa Bay official] gave him another game ball and promised him some sort of signed jersey." @tracywolfson discusses what it took to get Brady's 600th TD pass ball back from a fan 😂 pic.twitter.com/TsWnPJ8WAe
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 24, 2021
Two Bucs beat writers tracked down the fan at his seat in the first row behind the end zone. Greg Auman of The Athletic and Joey Knight of the Tampa Bay Times reported the fan identified himself as Byron Kennedy, 29, a resident at Largo Medical Center in Largo, Florida.
Byron Kennedy (dude who gave Brady's 600th ball back): "I was hesitant to give it back. I knew how much it meant to Tom and I was willing to trade." He was told he'll get some swag. #Bucs
— Joey Knight (@TBTimes_Bulls) October 24, 2021
Kennedy might be dismayed to learn that the game ball from Tom Brady's first touchdown pass sold at auction in June for more than $428,000. Levine said the 600 TD game ball would go for more "given the historic accomplishment."
A Bucs spokesman did not immediately return an email from Yahoo Sports seeking confirmation of what the team offered the fan in exchange for the ball. If a Brady autograph and some other swag is all that he received, then Levine and Goldin say the fan may have given away a fortune.
“Unused signed jersey and autographed photo would be lacking by $497,500,” Goldin said.
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