Tom Brady persists in his critique of today’s NFL players.
After stating that there’s “a lot of mediocrity” in the current NFL landscape, Brady faced debates and disagreements, including a response from retired quarterback Alex Smith, who highlighted Brady’s recent Super Bowl victory amid the perceived mediocrity.
In an episode of his “Let’s Go” podcast with hosts Jim Gray and Larry Fitzgerald, Brady reaffirmed his stance, delving further into his initial comments. He emphasized a lack of trust between coaches and quarterbacks in today’s NFL, noting the diminished autonomy of quarterbacks in calling and changing plays or reading defensive coverages.
“Coaches aren’t really trusting quarterbacks much — they’re trying to control the game from the sideline,” Brady explained. “When you try to control the game from the sideline, you don’t have the answer for everything that’s happening on the field.”
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Brady observed a decline in the emphasis on quarterbacks acquiring the necessary skills to read defenses and make strategic decisions, attributing this shift to reduced time spent on such aspects in today’s NFL compared to when he began his career.
He further criticized the lack of players’ comprehensive understanding of each other’s roles, whether in route running, blocking, or picking up blitzes. Brady argued that teams, under immense pressure to win quickly, often undergo rebuilding phases that hinder player cohesion.
Describing the current state of the league as resembling the college game and characterizing it as “more checkers than it is chess,” Brady expressed his desire for the game to continue evolving, calling for better coaching, improved quarterback play, and more effective defensive play-calling.
While Brady’s extensive career and numerous accomplishments make his insights valuable, some argue that he may not be sufficiently removed from playing to levy such extensive criticism on today’s players.
