A Jersey Has Been Found

After free agency and the NFL Combine, is there anything football-related worth reporting before next month’s NFL Draft? Unfortunately, there hasn’t been lately, but alas, news broke yesterday that rocked the National Football League. Tom Brady’s Super Bowl LI worn jersey has been recovered and not surprisingly, all our Theft Theories about what could have happened to Brady’s jersey were wrong.

What did exactly happen to the jersey? According to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, authorities found a lead in post-game locker room footage, that shows a man following Brady and the Patriots into their locker room and then leaving with a handful of items. The evidence that authorities used to piece together the theft was shown on The Herd earlier today.

FOX has aired footage of the alleged Brady jersey stealer leaving the locker room

(??: @FS1) pic.twitter.com/hEViihCthp

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) March 20, 2017

The suspect in question, Mauricio Ortega, is a former executive for a Mexican tabloid. After further investigation by the Houston Police Department, the Texas Rangers and the FBI, Ortego has also been connected to thefts of “incredibly valuable sports memorabilia” from the last three Super Bowls. Von Miller’s missing cleats and helmet from last year’s Super Bowl were also recovered, along with a game-worn Brady jersey from the Patriots’ 2015 victory. In total, FOX Business reported that the stolen merchandise has an estimated value of $800,000 but the process to authenticate the jerseys is still ongoing.

The evidence points to Ortega and it remains to be seen if he stole the merchandise to turn a profit or because he was a huge football fan. Likely the former but doesn’t part of everyone still wish that Roger Goodell, Jimmy Garoppolo or Eli Manning were the actual thieves? A Tom Brady hater can dream…