Tom Brady's missing Super Bowl jersey has been recovered

NEW YORK -- Tom Brady’s jersey, which went missing last month after the New England Patriots’ stunning Super Bowl victory in a historic game, has been recovered, the NFL announced Monday.

The jersey was found “in the possession of a credentialed member of the international media,” the NFL said in a statement. Houston police said it was recovered in Mexico.

It was retrieved alongside another jersey: one Brady wore in 2015 when the Patriots won the Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks. That jersey was also in the possession of the unnamed member of the media, the NFL announced.

U.S. and Mexican officials have not yet identified the suspect, but the name of a former newspaper director circulated widely in Mexican news media and on social networks. The newspaper’s owner, Organizacion Editorial Mexicana, issued a statement saying the director had resigned from La Prensa on March 14 for “personal reasons.” The company learned only Monday of his possible involvement in the jersey case, it said.

The paper said that if the accusations are true, it “strongly condemns” that the employee used his position “to obtain a media accreditation to be able to access the field of play, news conferences and probably other areas of NRG Stadium.”

The company apologized and said its leaders had been unaware of “the regrettable and reprehensible actions (he) presumably committed,” and said it had not been contacted by Mexican authorities about the case.

No arrests had been made as of late Monday. The Associated Press is not identifying the director because he has not been charged.

Art Acevedo, Houston police chief, tweeted earlier Monday that a division of the Houston police had traced Brady’s jersey to Mexico, adding “it has been recovered with help of FBI & Mexican authorities.”

At a news briefing, Acevedo said that the jersey Brady wore in the 2017 Super Bowl is now in the hands of the NFL and FBI, in Boston. He said it was stolen in Houston, which is where the game was held.

“The suspect doesn’t reside in the city of Houston but the investigation is ongoing,” he said.

“He came to the wrong state,” Acevedo said, without stating the suspect’s name. “You don’t come to Texas and you don’t steal when the eyes of the world are on our state.”

He said efforts were being made to authenticate the two jerseys that were found, but added that “we’re highly confident that these are the jerseys.”

The developments come six weeks after Brady was named MVP in Super Bowl LI. Brady led one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, lifting New England from a 25-point hole to the Patriots’ fifth NFL championship -- in the first Super Bowl overtime.

Brady’s jersey from this year’s Super Bowl is valued at $500,000, a police report released by the Houston Police Department said, CBS Boston reported.

Brady issued a statement Monday afternoon:

“I am happy my jerseys from SB 49 and SB 51 have been recovered, and I want to thank all of the law enforcement agencies involved.  I know they worked hard on this case -- and it is very much appreciated. Hopefully when I get the jerseys back I can make something very positive come from this experience.”