Kelly Clarkson pokes fun at Tom Brady's "thirst trap" during NFL Honors

BOSTON -- One of Tom Brady's first acts in retirement was to pose almost nude for a photograph in order to sell some of his branded underwear. It was certainly a decision that he made. No doubt about that.

And while Brady didn't get too much attention during the NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday night, that provocative photo did end up on the big screen in front of the live audience and those watching at home.

The moment came when Kelly Clarkson, who was hosting the event, sang an alternate rendition of her song "Since U Been Gone" with some help from Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. The rewritten song focused on NFL players' joy that Tom Brady is now "gone" from the NFL, thus opening the door for some other people to win.

Clarkson closed that little ditty thusly:

'Cuz now that he's gone
Teams have hope for the first time
Brady's moving on, yeah yeah
For the GOAT, that's a wrap
Now he just posts thirst traps
Now that he's gone

"Thirst trap" is a common enough phrase in the social media era to warrant having its own Wikipedia page. But for anyone uninitiated, the reliable Wikipedia says that "a thirst trap is a type of social media post intended to entice viewers sexually. It refers to a viewer's 'thirst,' a colloquialism likening sexual frustration to dehydration, implying desperation, with the afflicted individual being described as 'thirsty.'" The more you know!

Julian Edelman, a regular thirst trapper himself, was a little critical of Brady's post, noting it didn't have the ideal angles and lighting. Nevertheless, Brady's first step into the thirst trap game was successful enough to get some air time during the NFL's big annual awards ceremony.

Now, granted, 23 years in the league, seven championships, 10 Super Bowl appearances, every passing record in the books, an unprecedented and likely insurmountable amount of winning -- Brady probably deserved better recognition on a night such as that one. Yet when you retire twice in two years, you end up just showing up as fodder for a little roasting.

For Brady's sake, hopefully he sold a few pairs of drawers, at least.