The whereabouts of the game-used football from Tom Brady's last career victory are now shrouded in mystery.
Earlier this summer, Boston-based collector Denny "Brooks" Engstrom bought the ball, which also was used in Brady's final regular-season game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, from Grey Flannel Auctions.
However, Engstrom says he never received the milestone football, and that's where the confusion begins.
Engstrom believes the ball still exists and is in the hands on someone who knew what they were doing in purposely taking it.
A paper trail with carrier UPS indicated the ball might have been destroyed, as it was mistakenly sent to a cold-storage, third-party food logistics company that disposes of most of the items it receives.
On June 10, Engstrom, a longtime Brady collector, won the ball the consignor represented was from the quarterback's final victory (Jan. 1, 2023, against Carolina) and last regular-season game (Jan. 8, 2023, at Atlanta) for $8,566.80.
On July 9, Grey Flannel sent the football, via UPS, to the address of Engstrom's warehouse in Wilmington, Massachusetts, where he said he has received thousands of packages over the last three decades as the owner of a used furniture business called Brooks Bargains.
The next morning, according to scanned-in logs from the tracking number, which have been reviewed by cllct, a driver loaded the package onto a truck for delivery. At 9:32 a.m. that day, the driver noted the suite number was either missing or incorrect. However, Engstrom's name is one of four names listed on the mailbox at the building.
The package then headed back to the UPS facility in Wilmington, and there was another attempt to deliver the package the next day. This time, the driver entered in the system that the name or the company where it was headed was incorrect.
Engstrom said he was unaware of both attempts.
"Everyone in the building knows me," he said. "I get things sent there all the time."
Somehow, when the item was sent back to the facility for the third time, the address on the package was changed to RSL Logistics in Vineland, New Jersey.
Nine days later, according to delivery logs, the package arrived at one of the loading docks at RSL on July 22.
Having not received the ball by late August, Engstrom followed up with UPS, which opened an investigation.
In the meantime, Engstrom did his own investigative work.
He said he was able to contact an employee at the RSL Logistics facility in Vineland, who showed him a video of what he said was a group of boxes that were likely delivered with his Brady ball.
A source with RSL Logistics confirmed the existence of the video and Engstrom's characterization.
Since the company specializes in e-commerce solutions for brands sending frozen food, the source said almost everything that arrives at the facility is destroyed because it is either perishable at room temperature or tampered with and can't be restocked.
Once brought inside, items are usually immediately destroyed, and the staff won't open a box unless it has an employee's name on it, the source said.
"What I don't get is, how did it wind up in New Jersey if it says on the box that it's coming from Arizona and going to Massachusetts?" Engstrom asked. "You think it would go back to one of those places, or there would be some contact at some point."
Engstrom said the fact the package went to a facility where items are destroyed seems too fishy to him.
"I think someone has it,” Engstrom said.
"I just think people along the way see 'auction house' and the label, and they would open it up or X-ray it,” he added. "Having it randomly sent to a place that destroys things seems pretty convenient."
UPS issued a statement to cllct saying it investigated and has been unable to find the package.
“We investigated thoroughly and unfortunately have been unable to locate the package," a UPS spokesperson said. "We deeply regret this incident and apologize to the customer.”
Grey Flannel director of operations Michael Russek said the auction has filed an insurance claim on the lost item.
"We thankfully only have a handful of items each year that don't make it, and that's why we have insurance," he said.
Russek said Grey Flannel also offers a white glove service through FedEx or is willing to hand deliver items in the $500,000 range and up.
The source at RSL Logistics said, "I think the ball is gone."
Engstrom is now offering a $5,000 reward for its return, no questions asked.
Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct.com and one of the country's leading reporters on the collectible market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.