Tom Brady's 'Kick The Dog' Comment Sparks Backlash

Tom Brady strangely referenced dog abuse while on-air Sunday ... and animal lovers everywhere are outraged.

The NFL legend's bizarre comments came during the fourth quarter of the Chicago Bears' big victory over the Dallas Cowboys at Soldier Field ... just after George Pickens dropped a Dak Prescott pass that ended up as an interception.

Brady -- who was on the call for the Fox broadcast -- saw the Cowboys wideout slam his helmet in disgust ... and oddly compared it to hitting a pet.

"Those helmets can be -- it's like the dog at home," he said into the mic. "Kick the dog, throw the helmet. Whatever it takes."

Brady's partner in the booth, Kevin Burkhardt, didn't react to the remark ... and the on-field action then went to a commercial break. The two later finished the broadcast without bringing it up again.

The statement, though, ruffled plenty of feathers ... as people raced to social media to slam Brady.

"Is Tom Brady abusing dogs in his home??" one wrote. "Did Tom Brady just admit to beating his dog on national television?" another said.