MEDIOCRITY in the NFL⁉ Debating Tom Brady's criticism of the NFL diluting physicality | First Take

Stephen A. Smith, Shannon Sharpe and Jeff Saturday join Molly Qerim on First Take to discuss Tom Brady's criticism of the NFL prioritizing player health and safety over physicality.
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[@carterdrake4232]

Tom is absolutely right. The NFL has become far too soft and quarterbacks are way too privileged in today’s game.

[@kstrazz3552]

Tom reaped the benefits of it more than anyone.

[@donielledavis2793]

Yea but he benefited from rules that were called “The Brady Rules”

[@kasaitenma5546]

Id assume tb would be right about this. It's his crybaby attitude that led to this more than anyone.

[@kwhitevuu99]

The rules were made for him; all the refs did was help Tom win games and stay healthy, and now he's talking against it😭😭😭

[@ShadowJ20]

Yup. I remember when Terrell Suggs complained when he pointed to the ground to the refs and he gets a first down.

[@NeedsaLift595]

The main issue is (in my opinion): We overcorrected so much that now defensive players are extremely limited in what they can do.

[@And1one757]

What difference does it make if both defenses are playing by the same rules... one of the most legendary games ive seen was chiefs vs bills, offensive clinic thats way more entertaining then a slug fest... im just asking

[@infinitevos]

Spot on.

[@ArsonOnTheTrack]

Brady is the reason nobody can breath on a qb. He needs to stfu. The Brady Rule created after he hurt his little knee gave him another 10 years of playing

[@WHG369]

​@ArsonOnTheTrack no you need go think b4 you talk. He got hurt. He didn't ask them to make the Brady rule. They made the rule because of business. It's not his fault they cared more about money

[@WHG369]

​@And1one757 you don't play. You like what you like. The players don't. Football is corny now. And it will go the way of baseball in the next 10 yrs

[@Baconeggncheese14]

Having Saturday and Sharpe on this show is golden. Hearing them talk about football and not just debate is what first take should be about.

[@MidnightAspec]

Absolutely, feels like I am in Football school. I almost feel inclined to take notes.....and I have no intention of playing football.

[@michaeldonovan4793]

With very few exceptions like kendrick perkins, players make the best analysts..

[@Baconeggncheese14]

@@MidnightAspec well said brother

[@YoungT413]

First take is about Stephen a creating narratives so he can feel like he’s right about something where there is no right or wrong but just a matter of opinion. Dude is a clown.

[@soda8736]

They took the money from the selltelment yet they wonder why the rules change

[@brucewillis2]

The play that always gets me is the QB scramble. No one wants to dare touch them QB. Guys like Mahomes gets away with so many free yards the way defenders are so scared to tackle him.

[@bidenshusband2609]

Exactly. Their past game in Vegas on Sunday he scrambled for about 10 yards and came right up to a defender, who stopped and stared at him as he flopped to the turf. Hard to watch honestly

[@libidinousbear4563]

Bills made it to the afc championship for no reason other than this

[@johnnybaxter1953]

1000%. It's so cringe watching them hesitate to tackle him because they're scared of a flag

[@krisirizarry]

As a Ravens fan I am astounded that I actually agree with TB12.

[@Montrovantis]

So what you're saying is that your fandom normally overrides recognition of objective fact?

[@j317]

as a colts fan me too

[@Black____]

Truth has nothing to do with who you’re a fan of

[@superbowlchamps52]

What sad is these players are gonna suffer later in life with irreversible head damage when will they learn?

[@j317]

@Black____ it does because in this context we are saying we usually don't like brady based on the history of him and the teams we are fans of

[@Sammy_Lonestar]

That last line from Shannon is why I love him. “You might be looking this way, but it’s thru your ear hole” 😂

[@calvcast06]

Been looking for this comment 😭

[@melvincole3165]

😂😂😂😂

[@__vx3]

This man has the best one liners I swear

[@PurpleChurch]

There is literally no point in drafting huge physically dominant Defensive players anymore. You just need fast enough defensive players to touch the offensive player after they slide or fast enough players to escort them out of bounds. 😢 I miss football.

[@KillenEMsoftly]

bosa's kind of a big deal for the niners

[@PurpleChurch]

@@KillenEMsoftly Great examples to compare. Compare him to JJ Watt.

[@Marsbound215]

And RBs think of the lost of physicality in that position

[@PurpleChurch]

@@Marsbound215 RB is the only position consistently taking every defensive player’s best anti-CTE tackle unless they are catching the ball, so you have a point slightly.

[@robertm3951]

@@PurpleChurch TJ > JJ

[@ChildOfThe1970s]

Another factor I see is that because of the salary cap and free agency, teams are constantly changing lineups more than ever, and with the limited practice time nowadays it's hard to build a well-oiled machine, so to speak. Younger, less talented players are taking roster spots of solid veterans just because they are cheaper and fit under the salary cap while good QBs are making $40-50 million a year. Now instead of having a lineup full of awesome players, you have to just have a great QB along with a few pro bowl players to win.

[@Guapo2727]

Jeff’s analogy on the nfl being 7 on 7 is absolutely correct… it’s apart of the reason why the running back is being pushed out the running game initiates physicality and they are making it a passing league

[@aaronclay4665]

Amen brother

[@iansmith634]

facts man

[@SolaceMcfly]

Spittin

[@kdot9613]

Heck I couldn’t tell last night though, eagles were running on they should’ve passed

[@jayoh2k]

I can tell you from experience because I have a middle school son that plays quarterback and there is such a premium now put on seven on seven. It just infiltrates its way up the ranks. High school is worse and by the time you get to college and pros everything is finesse.

[@pandareemy]

I agree with Brady but I find it ironic that it's been stated that some of the rules were created to protect him

[@givenchie462]

Because it was a big deal when he tore his ACL… we had the team to go undefeated again and the NFL don’t want repeat

[@Andrew_M_Ward]

No doubt, but Brady was around for 22 years and got LIT UP regularly for his first 15 years

[@devonponder6765]

Brady even said this while he was still playing

[@larracis]

​@andrewmward1 everyone forgets that he was around when things were less regulated.

[@robertowest1894]

@pandareemy Well said

[@504ever4]

The thing that annoys me about all these rule changes to protect players is that is hasn't actually done anything major to prevent injuries. Maybe some small percentages, I don't check that. But multiple players get injured every week on legal plays. We can't stop injuries from happening in the NFL, as much as we all want to.

[@tigerhoods7927]

Facts nfl is a dangerous sport, that’s like in basketball to with all the load management but it hasn’t stop players from getting hurt

[@JoMoRWDT]

The most ridiculous thought is that for reasons of CTE they make rule changes for the player’s safety, but later introduced a 17th game and are even thinking about an 18th. The league has become so ridiculous that it needs people with the caliber of TB12 to wake them up. The rule changes have developed so bad, that I currently prefer watching old throwback games on YT than regular season games. They destroyed the game of Football.

[@ArsonOnTheTrack]

Plus making players play on Sunday then Thursday

[@ejx.33]

That's fair but to say they destroyed the games is crazy, I'm all for big hits and all but they are still human at the end of day, these hits can really mess them up and a lot of players from back then are really messed up

[@jamesh.8632]

I always hated the 17th game. 16 games just felt like the perfect amount of games. I’ve also been in favor of having 18 weeks but just having 2 bye weeks and making there be a mandatory bye week before a Thursday night football game.

[@Sonic8577]

With how soft the nfl is now they could possibly go 20 games and be fine.@@jamesh.8632

[@CrisJunkie]

As much as Tom benefitted from the changes, we all know he knew how to protect himself. He threw the ball quickly and if there was a potential sack coming in his direction, what did he do? He threw the ball away to the stance and then fell down on his own.

[@Danation2288]

Man Tom also played in the gladiator Era people forget that

[@solomonhyde]

Exactly

[@mikehatten5738]

@@Danation2288bullshit only Montana did they changed the rule for brady lol

[@violabeaumont3758]

@@mikehatten5738 They changed it for Rodgers. I suppose you are too much of a hater to remember Brady facing those Ray Lewis Ravens defenses and such though.

[@darnellwilliams8783]

​@@Danation2288yall are lying They screwd the raiders for Tom brady

[@gt0783]

Hate that I agree with Brady but I do. Since 2020 the quality of the play has taken a nosedive. Now that an entire generation of HoF QBs have retired, you see what’s left. Even with all the rule changes, these supposed elite QBs can’t even touch their stats, even with an extra game.

[@stnrodriguez]

Patrick mahomes is already better than all other quarterbacks besides Tom Brady ..

[@173jaSon371]

@@stnrodriguez How about after Mahomes(who is not the 2nd best QB ever lol)? In 2009 you had Brady, Manning, Brees, Rodgers, Romo, Stafford, Flacco, McNabb, Ryan, Favre, Warner, Big Ben, Rivers, Eli. Thats 6-8 HOF players and a lot of Hall of Very Good QBs. Call me crazy but this crop of Allen, Lamar, Burrow, Herbert, Hurts, Lawrence, Tua, Dak, etc has not shown that they are on that level. Especially not consistently on a year to year basis. The NFL is very much in a transformative era now that so many guys have retired since 2019 and this new crop hasn't proven much. Half the league is starting total bums at QB. Pickett, Zach Wilson, Mac Jones, JimmyG/Aidan O'Connell, DTR/Watson, Daniel Jones/Devito, Fields/Bagent, Levis/Tannehill, Ridder, Bryce Young, Minshew, Geno, Dobbs, Love, etc. That's half the league with totally incompetent QB play for most of the season. Pathetic.

[@stnrodriguez]

@@173jaSon371 and when this "HOF" people were playing more then 1/2 the league didn't have bums? Also you think Eli and flacco are good your a fool...

[@oozieneinmillimeeda]

@@stnrodriguez not Montana

[@gokuswanson2037]

@stnrodriguez no he's not. He benefits more than anyone else in NFL history and still isn't as good as some of the ogs

[@TheProphegy]

It’s so common today to see quarterbacks with a career 2 to 1, 3 to 1, and even a 4-1 TD/INT ratio. Back then you only had like 3-4 active guys with a 2 to 1 or better and they were elite. QBs today have it way easier. They can only be touched a certain way so defenses play softer. Receivers can’t be touched until the ball is in their hands. They have no fear going over the middle. It’s just so much easier now. You got WRs getting 1400 yards who back then would’ve been lucky to get 900.

[@Mike__B]

Also remember that in order to get paid as a QB you needed to either A) win a super bowl or B) get your team to the playoffs consistently. There was none of this "reset the market" salaries just because you want to be the highest paid player and your team can't live with out.

[@michealbrown4302]

"offensive players need to learn how to protect themselves" THANK YOU TOM BRADY. just this weekend i saw Alex Highsmith make a routine, GAME CHANGING sack on the Browns QB that turned into a first down for the Browns for roughing the passer. Highsmith's upper body is completely parallel with the QB, but since he didnt shrink himself to prevent their helmets from colliding, the Steelers get penalized. Because of course the QB isn't at fault to be aware of all pass rushing threats and brace themselves for impact. noooope thats all on the offensive line for not communicating with their lord and savior who can do no wrong, the QB.

[@stackntax1308]

This is why I hate when you compare todays players to those in the past…… every Sunday those guys were getting rocked

[@alex5308]

I’m really happy to hear all the veterans agreeing with Tom. Hopefully we can get the ball rolling on some change!

[@soda8736]

You do know veterans sued the NFL for concussions and won, so of course the NFL is going to make changes

[@troy7635]

100% agree with brady. The physicality is being taken out of the game. And since players aren't used to taking hits as often, it's actually causing more injuries than preventing them.

[@laurenz4528]

I don’t think toughen up is the right mentality when a 350lbs Linemann runs u over like a truck :D its more likely that the long season puts more strain on the players body, paired with weird turf that’s cheaper e voila u tear your acl while celebrating on the side line at the superbowl…

[@troy7635]

@laurenz4528 injuries are part of the game. At a certain point, it is not real football anymore. And I agree the season is very long. I didn't like that they extended it, without the player's having much of a say in it.

[@danielehiagwina]

I started watching the NFL in 2002/2003, when the Buccaneers had their superbowl run. I fell in love with the game because of the likes of Derrick Brooks, John Lynch, Sapp and Barber and their physicality on defense. At present, that aspect of the game is gradually losing its appeal because defenders are afraid to attract penalties. It's no longer "defense wins championships" but too much emphasis on finesse. Take the physicality away and what you have is a WWE scripted universe. I'm an NFL lover from Nigeria btw 😊

[@brandoonf6962]

that bucs, ravens, titans had some of the best defense of that time period

[@melanatedgod5337]

​@@brandoonf6962they really did. Absolutely great.

[@febrecordz4032]

Don’t forget Simeon rice that’s my favorite team I used to love when they played the rams back then

[@ogspermcell]

Bob sanders and ryan Clark were my favorite safetys to watch

[@WesM757]

My man!! As a Bucs fan I'm happy. I hope you are still a Bucs fan! Still to this day John Lynch is my favorite player of all time!

[@army2rich441]

I can’t even look up NFL biggest hit anymore 😂

[@Mir199x]

FACTS

[@ThorntonWillie]

NFL's biggest flags incoming

[@army2rich441]

@@ThorntonWillie 😭😭😭😭

[@supermario8175]

Tom Brady knows without the game being played rough he would've never got his chance. Tom Brady got his chance because Drew Bledsoe got hurt and it was next man up. No man is bigger than the game. Yes, Tom Brady benefited from the rule change, but that doesn't mean he agreed with the change. He went along with it as all players have to.

[@idkijs435]

He's really saying "the NFL ain't sh*t without me" lmao

[@MaxPower-vf8kt]

You see it too? All I hear is “OUR game was better! We would’ve all been all stars if we played in your league! The game sucks without the way us and our style.” All games change. If much rather see a fast pace game with guys able to play than watching guys getting career ending injuries every game. It’s fun watching a big hit, not a big hit that injures.

[@SteelRhinoXpress]

The fatter the payday the more these owners want to do everything that they can to protect their player assets. including taking the physicality out of the game.

[@DingoDIDeatmybaby]

Yeah, with contracts getting inflated to $50M+ a year, owners have big reason to protect their assets by regulating physicality out of the league.

[@mshell1959]

And diminishing the overall product!

[@jobunaga4178]

people keep talking about a diminished product, but has that shown up in the nfl's bottom line? from a purely financial perspective, the nfl has no reason to change its course.

[@blakemcmahon6539]

Each nfl team gets $400 million from the NFL each year baseline that’s just a check from the nfl. Nfl salary cap is 220 million there like one guy a team who makes 50 million so cut the cap with the owners and money they are a money printing machine!!!

[@357say]

@@DingoDIDeatmybabyBoy you soft as tissue.😂

[@blacktoad2425]

For once, I'm 100% with him lol

[@josephfred4093]

I am a bills fan and yes i agree 100%

[@Black____]

What have you disagreed with what he has said before this

[@kamisama660]

​@@Black____ I don't think nobody else has ever critiqued or disagree on what comes out of his mouth he ain't like Aaron Rodgers, LeBron James, Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving.

[@blacktoad2425]

@@Black____ not in that sense, more as in, I’m on his side, when he played, I was almost never rooting for him, like that sense.

[@lettheflamestakeover7374]

For the first time because of ‘Tom’ himself I complement everyone’s IQ! if it wasn’t for the GOAT Tommy I’d still be furious at these casual fans😂

[@jonb2911]

I don't remember Tom Brady complaining about all the protection he was getting while he was in the league.

[@pointyheadYT]

He did complain in 2006 when the refs gifted the colts the championship off of ridiculous roughing the passer calls and penalties in general.

[@jonb2911]

@@pointyheadYT Tom Brady was complaining about how the refs protected him? He complained when he benefited from those same rules?

[@JMAN97712]

What are you talking about? I’ve seen Tom Brady get recked by players before lol. He got back up and kept playing.

[@peterpileggi3664]

Great insight here.

[@10000liverpool]

This is so true! Why do u guys think Patrick M literally flops and cries every times he gets touched? He knows how to use the rules for his advantage

[@Godson0771]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@Godson0771]

YOUR MAN CRUSH BRADY BENEFITED FOR YEARS FROM THE RULES GETTING SOFTER TO PROTECT HIM 😂😂😂😂

[@chrismalik1579]

Mahomes is soft as toilet paper and brady didn't change the rules so don't blame him for it... its all because of cte issues and the league and officials are protecting the qb so the offenses can score more and sale more tickets to make everyone richer

[@Gogoterps]

@@Godson0771THIS

[@halofivekid5870]

Pat Mahomes is the goat right now and has my upmost respect, but a compilation of him whining for penalties throwing a hissy fit would be over an hour long

[@MysticalChampion341]

He is completely right. These soft rules are out of control and as a result players are being fined for no reason.

[@staidenofanarchy]

People forget Brady took some shots over the years, if HE'S saying this, you've got a problem

[@ricohatcher2251]

Good job by ESPN for actually allowing the nfl legends to talk the most THANK YOU

[@alex5308]

Facts 100%. The great HOFers need to contribute to the game and help improve these rules. Fans have been dying for deregulation. QB way too protected, defense can’t defend anymore

[@rgross1967]

The level talent of offensive linemen vs defensive lineman coming out of college is an issue too. Top College O-linemen are usually less prepared to step-in and play on an NFL level as compared to MOST top defensive linemen are expect to play if not start day one. Defensive players coming out of college are more familiar with the pro-style of play in the NFL. Protection for the quarterback lyes in the hands of the offensive line and that will never change.

[@Trepur349]

yeah they don't teach it like they used too, that's a problem With stuff like the air raid offense being popular in college, the goal is finesse and so colleges don't need to teach the fundamentals to OLs in those systems, you want your OL to be set within 15 seconds of the last play and that's more important then making sure he blocks perfectly, so they generally don't teach the blocking properly like they used too. And then you get to the NFL where those gimmicky offenses don't work as well and the quality of the play just goes down as a result

[@fuckthezuck]

That's honestly a great point, it makes it so much harder to develop elite QBs and RBs if the O line is out of their element

[@tigerhoods7927]

Yeah that’s true too

[@drewsky1967]

this might be the best take and debate on the NFL ive ever seen.

[@andydufresnejr]

this used to be normal conversation on ESPN in the 00's. quality has slipped through the years. hate to be sexist but female moderators need to go. as analysts and journalists guests okay but female moderators bring a different energy to the shows and i think it needs more testosterone to have consistent quality engagement like this.

[@drewsky1967]

@@andydufresnejr you aren’t wrong

[@tigerhoods7927]

Yeah you right

[@Mj27th]

I love hearing legendary players talk about their game ✊🏽 Lots of respect for these guys

[@shane5206]

They need to stop with just about every penalty on the defense is a automatic 1st down 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@brianchua4240]

People here saying Brady benefitted from those rules. Yes that is absolutely true, but what Brady said here isn't wrong at all. People easily forget that Palmer got his knee destroyed first where they instituted the QB below the waist rule. The Brady rule came in 3 years later. But the Aaron Rodgers rule just took things to a whole new level of WTF is this. The QB play today is horrible. The techniques for the WRs and everyone else is bad. The coaching is Staley and McDaniels everywhere.

[@Godson0771]

YOU’RE MISSING THE POINT. BRADY IS A HUGE REASON FOR THE SOFTER NFL WE SEE TODAY.

[@mattislinx]

​@@Godson0771How delusional are you?

[@mistersunshine1330]

​@@Godson0771no he's not, he doesn't sit in meetings to determine new rules

[@sindilacion]

I said this on Shannon's show about a month ago. I don't pay attention to football like I used to but I can't think of any notorious hard hitters today like I could back then. Even when I wasnt into football like that, I knew the guys who would take your head off.

[@bigdye1976]

One of the best segments I heard in along time.

[@redstang5150]

Has to be one of the best clips I've seen here.

[@antoniotrivelloni8191]

He's not wrong. It's like the people in basketball who say that "player skill is at an all-time high!" While it is mainly true, they're mainly excelling at certain types of skills, such as three-point shooting (and shooting in general) and ball handling (and that's because of rule changes). Fundamentals? Defensive skill? They're falling farther and farther by the wayside. Same principle in football. Teams are excelling at passing the ball, but defensively, it's getting difficult to keep up, this year notwithstanding.

[@ahastar1141]

I would argue the quality of tackling has declined and not necessary because of the rules. More guys TRYING to make big hits, than just delivering big hits. Ray lewis gets dragged into this like he wasnt overall a good tackler aside from the fact he made big hits. Most of the hits getting flagged are DBs leading with their head. No one is teaching tackling that way, yet it still keeps happening. People are expecting a knock out hit vs a wrap up

[@antoniotrivelloni8191]

@@ahastar1141 Which ties back into the defensive skill and fundamentals thing

[@dawgpoundcle9187]

Just the shooting aspect. Ball handling not at all

[@KillenEMsoftly]

it's impossible to play defense compared to the past, you cant touch receivers anymore

[@yayz9442]

​@@dawgpoundcle9187 ball handling is definitely better nowadays lmfao

[@kingghidra3854]

Tom said this with a STRAIGHT FACE LOL

[@varunaX]

What is lol about that

[@WizG.]

Implying the irony coming from Tom Brady despite these rules arguably being created for him and benefiting from it. Tbf he has played in both eras.@@varunaX

[@conanmcclanahan1069]

The fact the tuck rule existed, and he "reminded" the league how to use it after 30+ years completely negates his argument here.

[@hdbuckets8154]

@@WizG.let’s not get it twisted, Tom Brady wasn’t THE REASON the rules were changed, it’s not his fault. Tom knew how to protect himself from big hits, QBs these days don’t get punished.

[@jogendron6320]

Ton knew how to protect himself from big hits.......that’s a good one. How did he do that? Waaaaaa waaaaaaa Mr.Ref plz make sure he doesn’t do that again..... IM TOM BRADY!!!!!

[@jamesross1798]

I agree! Anytime the game rules change, it's to combat reckless playmaking. They're not learning to protect themselves like the old school NFL players had to learn.

[@bearfootball1]

Biggest W take I've ever heard from ESPN. As a former linebacker I never complained about blindside or cut blocks. I also took full advantage of leveling any receiver within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage and never thought twice about separating the receiver from the ball with a hard hit as soon as he touched the ball. Keep your head on a swivel.

[@kingnovi9404]

Shannon had to make sure he threw a little shot at Tom

[@conanmcclanahan1069]

This is one of the most hypocritical positions Tom could have POSSIBLY taken, so it's MORE than deserving. The Tuck Rule ~ALONE~ COMPLETELY NEGATES anything Tom has to say afterwards, lol!

[@swup9851]

​@@conanmcclanahan1069I'm pretty sure the tuck rule worked against him earlier that season yet no one said anything. Worked for him and everyone complains. Sure it was a bad rule, but it's not like he was the only one that benefitted from it. Also, they proceeded to remove it a short time after. So no, that rule doesn't negate everything he said.

[@conanmcclanahan1069]

Actually it really, really, really does. Especially with the context YOU added that the rule was later REMOVED!!! Thanks for the one-up!@@swup9851

[@niners2162]

He told the 100 percent truth

[@2kTeacher]

​@swup9851 unfortunately it doesn't work that way. Tom won a SB because of that rule. Which means history was changed. Can't just ignore that. Now is he telling the truth? Yeah I think he is. But it doesn't change what's been done for his sake in terms of the game growing soft.

[@miloren8547]

I think we can all agree Tom is right. But in today’s NFL it’s about the business and the product. Players being healthy and on the field contributes to incoming revenue, so naturally there are rules to be changed to keep it that way. Same thing with basketball. Everyone needs to understand with time everything changes nothing stays stagnant

[@donpietruk1517]

Except that injuries are even more prevalent. The result of adding the extra game and forcing the Thursday night games where players haven't recovered completely.

[@twils005]

The NFL contradicts itself. They emphasize player safety but then wants a 17 game season and Thursday night football. They’re obsessed with revenue streams.

[@johngoldsworthy7135]

Well ok, but now you have a shitty product. Either give us a better game or people will continue to stop watching

[@johnmarston6429]

And yet with all that protection QBs are dropping like flies along with everyone else because whole league has gotten softer. It’s not working so you might as well revert to good ol’ days.

[@davidroseman4917]

The most difficult position on professional sports is also the most important. There's only a few elite NFL QBs in any given year and they don't allow the young guys to develop before they're labeled as busts. Dobbs has always played well when given the chance but every team hes on cuts him. Now he has gotten a chance and he's responded well. That's a sign that the young QBs should get more time to develop.

[@GOATJamesBurnerAccount]

“You may be looking this way, but it’d be through your ear hole” 🤣🤣🤣

[@MattTheDreamer7199]

Didn’t really expect the pro defense sentiment from OG, but he’s right. If the GOAT QB says the game has gotten mediocre, we should take heed.

[@RekojGnik]

No cap

[@Godson0771]

😂😂😂😂

[@Godson0771]

HE BENEFITED MORE THAN ANYBODY WHEN THE RULES GOT SOFTER TO PROTECT HIM. FOH

[@debonaireslots]

one name..SEAN TAYLOR... he blew up people in the pro bowl lol...

[@ballinforlife9]

@@Godson0771he played 1/3- half his career before the rule changes and won multiple SBs

[@simply1087]

Although I do agree it's the irony of Brady saying it that's hilarious to me😂

[@themoneyman1752]

I cant wait to hear TB12 on FOX he's gonna do a really good job he's so smart

[@jaysalazar107]

Keep Preaching Tom. Lets keep this subject talked about

[@babarocus1]

I was just thinking all this last night!!! How soft the nfl has become.

[@mariogallego5513]

Tom Brady saying the league is soft now when he was the driving force behind the rule changes because the NFL didnt want their golden boy to get hurt is kinda wild bro

[@rrizo6846]

Montana used to get killed went to hospital after giants destroyed him , imagine if Montana played with brady rules

[@MLG_Junior]

@@rrizo6846without a doubt Montana is retiring with 10 Super Bowls

[@ejslemp5342]

I don’t think the coaching has ever been as bad it is now. So many mediocre to bad coaches that should’ve never gotten a head coaching job in the 1st place while other assistant coaches have to wait and not get that opportunity

[@tigerhoods7927]

Yeah every week I watch nfl games I’m thinking what plays are these coaches running cause it’s not working

[@pointyheadYT]

Watch them give McDaniels a 3rd chance...

[@bigchungus1848]

@@pointyheadYTas a coordinator, not a head coach lol.

[@mosesdeleon2481]

I love debates like this

[@Tomyohann]

I agree, and I never played American football in my life, just soccer and basketball. But as a fan of the sport and Patriots for 20 years, in my opinion the NFL got obsessed with ratings, and from their analytics the only way to get higher ratings (=more sponsors) is more offense (of course in combination with all the concussion legal issues going on) which helps in their reach to places as England, Germany and Mexico. NBA took a similar approach and priortitized offense, without the concussions of course.

[@twils005]

True. I also believe the NFL and the owners think the league could cease to exist in the future if they didn’t make all these changes. I remember Mark Cuban saying a while ago that the NFL could shut down.

[@357say]

You can’t regulate concussions😂😂😂

[@Tomyohann]

@@357say ???

[@unc54]

I agree with Brady that it's not on defenders to protect offensive players but at the same time, there is a reason the NFL moved away from the brutal hits. They should relax some of the PI rules and stuff like that but I think the move from physicality to more finesse isn't just safe but also better for the game. There's been so much innovation in football theory in the current era.

[@SkunkLifeMedia]

First thing they need to do with PI is make it just a set 10 yard penalty. This spot foul nonsense has to stop.

[@guido072]

I'd go 15yd like college...agree tho...spot foul for PI in today's game doesn't make sense

[@unc54]

​@@guido072 I actually don't mind spot foul for DPI because otherwise throwing deep would be near impossible. But I think they should relax some of the restrictions. Let defenders have incident contact for the first ten yards and don't reward PI bait like the QB underthrowing to draw a flag.

[@MalikRobinson-ld9jo]

innovation i doubt it most of these team concepts are using old football concepts that be3cause the physicality teams stop running for example the amount of usage by eagles with QB sneak thats not innovative you think teams in the past have thought about doing the exact same thing the reason its so effective now is because oline arent getting their knees chopped and the quarterback isnt getting suplexed for sneaking the ball i promise you back then after jalen hurts would have done one sneak the next play the defense looking to take him out the game so the coaches wont try that again imagine 2000 ravens and jalen hurts completed his 4th qb sneak on the smae drive im pretty sure the next play ray lewis is calling a blitz just to hit him so he wont wanna run it again

[@144wychwood]

I became HUGE NFL fan in late 1970s. Recently a coworker asked me why I'm not into watching football anymore and I wasn't able to articulate just why but listening to this panel made it plain to me.

[@mikekinsella2822]

They took defense out of the game. I want to see big hits and you don't have that anymore.

[@omni-man4624]

Yeah, Sucks Now.

[@ronaldbarber3675]

Amen I go back and watch old highlights to see some good football on KZbin

[@mattgibney4085]

Yes Tom benefitted towards the end of his career, but don’t forget that man played 15 years before them rules got regulated. He wasn’t sitting in the pocket smelling daisies like these QBs now

[@CMMDRAsh]

He won a SB off the Tuck Rule in 01' and other cheatings. He benefitted greatly.

[@mattgibney4085]

@@CMMDRAsh right “other cheating” cry more

[@pointyheadYT]

He, as a immobile QB, didn't benefit nearly as much as some of these running QB's of today. I think that's the problem. Rules weren't made with running QB's in mind, so now that DB's are afraid to tackle a QB, you're seeing more and more QB's scrambling and getting 10-15 yards out of nowhere, whereas before they'd get lit up.

[@stoneblood9864]

Its real simple. This is a contact sport. These players knew before they ever stepped on a field what they were signing up for and the risks that follow. That being said, there is 0 reason the league should be as soft as it is. It’s embarrassing. A MAJOR part of peoples enjoyment watching football is big hits and crazy super human plays. Now it feels water down and qbs are way to comfortable.

[@ekwejohnson6965]

With knowledge of injuries and impact tackles have had on players it is important to protect them.

[@mckill32]

Gotta love how Shannon said Brady benefited from it but when Peyton was brought up it was like he played in a different era. HAHAHA!! Brady certainly benefited from the gradual rule changes through eras but he played in an era earlier in his career that had a lot less rules that protect players just like Peyton did.

[@kjack14]

We also live in an era where they don’t let players develop, QBs especially. Stop thinking these rookies can start day one.

[@hiramabiff2790]

Todays NFL sucks , I’m close to stop watching, and Tom Brady is the reason this has happened

[@connorhendrickson]

THIS!!!!!

[@mashedpotato982]

No, Peyton is the reason it happened with Colts crying to the league after Rodney Harrison and them Patriots lighting him up.

[@StevenP727]

👋👋👋👋👋 later alligator

[@bigsnap5]

@connorhendrickson and @mashedpotato982 both of you are right. It's not either or. Both of those moments coincide with the beginning of the NFL we see today. And those events reflect the rise of the Quarterback and the passing game and the NFL decided to change the rules to help the passing game flourish.

[@Disxreet]

No it’s not him.

[@thedonprince7941]

I never imagined myself not watching football ever. It sucks now haven't watched a full game in a few years

[@DR4WZ]

"You might be looking this way, but it'd be through your ear hole".... Gold!

[@gsmusic2009]

100 percent correct some of these WR would be average 15 years ago. Fake Personal fouls being called and Phantom Pass interference on DBs when the WR flopping and purposely tangling themselves with the DB. Players thinking, they tough on offense and ducking their heads into a hit instead of getting Down or sliding best they can. Jerry Rice and Randy Moss played years because they knew how to get down even if they went over the middle, but they caught the ball first because they knew how to protect themselves and also, they probably threatened the QB not to put them in harm's way of Ray or any of the legendary hard hitters lol!!! The game is so fast, and they have to allow some hits that can't be avoided!!! They call the defense for everything QBs get to run down the field without fear of getting destroyed. they allow WR to push off and not get called It's a lot of water being displayed now. they allow them to run a pic play to get an open man in the endzone just bad!!! They want more scoring but don't want the balance so they handcuff the defense whenever they can.

[@aviatr9542]

Yup, I can't stand WR's now. Instead of trying to catch a ball in the endzone, they're more preoccupied with tring to draw a PI call by intentionally running into DB's and flailing their arms around. Then they flop on the ground and throw their hands in the air whining to a ref "where's my flag?!" when really they should be asking themselves, "why did I not even try to catch the ball instead and score?" It's like offensive schemes are being designed with "intent" to draw flags, rather than actually make a play. It's such a joke to watch teams play today. It's Flag Football: Penalty Flag Edition.

[@gsmusic2009]

@@aviatr9542 Exactly!!!

[@jism2035]

When the greats of the game all agree on something you know its facts

[@FactsNReason]

Saturday + Shannon - preach

[@bw1330]

Brady is one to talk - he was one the most protected players of all-time. No one could touch that guy without a flag

[@ragemachine56]

Brady and Manning were the main advocates. It started with protecting the QB but now its evolved into something else. Just like NE V Raiders in 2001, the pass-tuck rule. Its spiraled out of control now.

[@queitn6287]

He doesn’t want people hitting knees

[@MrRawnch]

Agree 100%. The Oakland Raiders got screwed that season.

[@rrizo6846]

agree, this is why in my book brady isn't the greatest of all time...to soft to many rule changed for him and the other softy manning, I watched football in the 70s and 80s and just telling you young guys Brady couldn't handle the pressure and hits that were common back then BRADY was candy @ss soft.

[@enigmafiresup4658]

@@rrizo6846But that’s not really his fault, is it? Brady can’t control when he was born or what era he played. He coulda easily been brought up in the 70s and adapted to the game

[@SeanFication]

The pass tuck rule was around before NE vs Raiders, and in fact earlier in the same season NE lost a game due to that rule going against them.

[@usmcmikeco0651]

Tuck Rule .... i rest my case Tom 👨🏾‍⚖️

[@stephanea5364]

Tuck rule was already applied against the Pats the same season

[@1766584]

TELL’EM👏🏽💯

[@theriemannbreaker8174]

I feel like they didn't answer the question. The question was "why has quarterback play been so bad?".

[@RaiderNation28]

THIS IS LITERALLY THE PARTICIPATION TROPHY 🏆 ERA OF FOOTBALL PLAYERS AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME.

[@danieltarczynski6559]

Brady was the catalyst for these rules. Also Brady came up in a league in the early to mid 2000’s where outside of Peyton Manning and a few other QB’s there were a ton of trash QB’s. Back then fans and pundits were lamenting how bad QB play was. The real valid complaint is how the lack of off season practices and shortening of training camps have caused a lot less development and sloppy play.

[@unc54]

Also, we're not in a bad era for QBs either. Mahomes already is top 5 all-time and his contemporaries aren't shabby either.

[@clintenos]

Brady was the catalyst for some of the QB penalties today but most of the illegal hit to WRs and ball carriers is because of the concussions and discovery and public knowledge of CTE.

[@Grievous_]

Bro what QB olay in the 2000’s and 2010’s was an all time high fck you mean it was trash?

[@swup9851]

Example: roughing the passer calls since 2012 Tom Brady 235 games: 28 Aaron Rodgers 176 games: 32 Patrick Mahomes 94 games: 20 Josh Allen 88 games: 30. Tom knew how to protect himself by throwing the ball away or just tucking and falling to the ground. He didn't benefit as much as other QBs. Sure he benefitted sometimes, but the way he played by getting it out early and just taking the sack if he got hit protected him as well as didn't give the refs many opportunities to call penalties.

[@mawile2468]

The late 2000s-early 2010s might be the golden era Brady was referring to. Brady, Peyton, Rodgers and Brees were the Big 4. Big Ben, Tony Romo, Eli, and Rivers were the next tier. Brett Favre was still in the league. Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck, Colin Kaepernick, and Cam Newton were leading the new crew later on. Derek Carr ended the Raiders' 10+ year purgatory. Matthew Stafford made a sorry Lions franchise decent to watch. Alex Smith and Carson Palmer were enjoying a career resurgence come the early 2010s too.

[@Prince-yr4jk]

Thank you Tom

[@marcusstanley96]

Every team plays zone defense now which is basically giving the qb and wr a guaranteed 4-7 years hence the complete dissolution of the need for rbs because a throw is basically a run now, and even if dbs perform the hit perfectly they’re gonna call unnecessary roughness for hitting the wr too hard

[@xRussianbishop]

Tom is right. I used to get so excited to spend all Sunday watching football and now. I rather sleep

[@Grievous_]

Fr, it fell off after like 2018 or so to me, Brady just kept me entertained for the years that followed until he retired, now that’s he’s gone I could care less, I used to be so invested in the Nfl but now this year it’s just like what am I even watching now, Ive literally turned from watching the Nfl hours end to now watching he Nba hours end because that’s more exciting and appealing to me and I’ve been invested in Basketball too but it was always #2 or #3 before Baseball and Football but now it’s my main sport because of how much more exciting I find it compared to the Nfl, matter of fact I’d actually got into world football last year during the World Cup and I find myself watching that MORE than the Nfl 😂 sports on my list are #1 Basketball #2 Baseball #3 Football/Futebol #4 Nfl ever since Brady retired I have barely given 2 f’s about the Nfl and he actually kept me watching it that last few seasons, oh and last year’s super bowl didn’t even feel like one because of the lack of physicality and the refs hosing the Eagles since the Nfl wants this stupid storyline of Mahomes catching Brady when Brady will ALWAYS be the Goat!

[@jogendron6320]

Brady is the goat of the soft era. Goat of hypocrites. Goat of whiners. Mahomes is better than him too.

[@rifraf1717]

The thing is this....football is a dying sport....right now that might not be seen....but statistically we're seeing less and less young people entering into the sport. The emergency of CTE correlated to repeated concussions & head trauma has further driven parents to have their kids distance themselves from the sport. The NFL is trying to mitigate head trauma in order to appeal for the fanbase 20 years from now, it's an investment they hope pays off...but the thing is the game we all grew up and love has consistently been evolving with new rules... if the consumer feels that the product has diminished in value and it shows then the NFL needs to find the happy medium. It's great that Brady spoke fact bombs, because currently there is a disconnect between the fans and the product. It hurts so much to see normal blitzes or safety hits become violations for something which was not intentional.

[@tigerhoods7927]

Your right I heard about this a few years ago about how young kids don’t want o play football anymore

[@APTTMH_3]

"You might be looking this way but it will be through your ear hole" 😂😂😂😂💀💀💀🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 this man is a fool

[@PapaDubBreaks]

I’m seeing this across all business; dumbing things down and the machinification of people. You don’t need to know why we have you throw the ball 30 yards into tight coverage 100 times in practice, we just want you to practice it because we know it’ll lead to a higher completion %. Then the player who can make that throw gets into the game and has to think on the fly and cant determine when to use said skill.

[@josephjones4468]

💯 percent correct. I grew up with the 70's style of football and basketball and they've both become powder puff leagues. Not saying that these guys aren't professional athletes but the lack of toughness has made these games hard to watch. In the 70's up to the early 00's how many players suffered season ending injuries? Not many why because these guys trained harder to be more physical and dominant than the year before. Injuries are part of any sport but look at how much different it is now. Sprained ankle 2-4 weeks. How many of us played our sport with this? Protect the players but let them play

[@willjamesjr]

I'm not the biggest Brady but he BRADY IS 1000% right!!!!! The NFL has been bad for a long time. But thanks to tv deals, gambling profits and fans who are too brainwashed by the spectacle of the product, nothing will ever change. (That's why so many of the Amazon Prime games are terrible matchups. The league and Amazon know that people will watch no matter what!) I've been telling people that the NFL has been a trash product for the last 10 years. Most of the teams are bad, several are..."meh" and only a handful are well built and maintained by competent management. The main issue is GREED. The NFL makes so much money that their old, wealthy team owners who also lack imagination don't have a great financial incentive to make their teams good. Want 2 examples? Look no further than the Commanders & the Bears. Dan Snyder ran an absolutely abysmal team. A terrible organization on the field AND off the field. But despite his team being garbage and a giant legal liability, it was one of the most valuable teams in the world BEFORE he sold them and made even more money once he sold. Similar with the Bears. Yes, the Bears are in a world class city and are a historic franchise, but ownership/management has been pathetic since the 80s. The McCaskey's get away with picking uninspiring coaches, acquiring terrible quarterbacks and routinely trading away their best players for nothing. But they continue to make insane money because the fans are too loyal to actually hold them accountable. Owners are greedy, incompetent, lazy and mostly make staff hires based on who they golf with or who they feel will lower their heads and allow the teams to be mediocre. Add to that the fact that most NFL coaches are TERRIBLE at developing talent. How many Heisman winners, 1st round picks and 2nd round picks have been out of the league in 3 years because they were drafted by bad coaches and bad team management? College football is even worse. Terrible coaching and player development. Mostly about of loud mouth, ego maniacs who get paid tens of millions in severance after they wreck the program.

[@rrizo6846]

Brady caused lots of this because back when he played he didn't want to get hit and cried like a bay rules were changed. Brady wouldn't even have been in the top 10 quarterbacks in the 80s way to soft couldn't handle pressure. he was just the best quarterback in a very bad league thats how he won those 7 and a few he cheated

[@willjamesjr]

@rrizo6846 I agree with most of what you said. He complained whenever a defender even breathed near him. And yes, the league changed rules for Brady and the Pats specifically. I only disagree with you saying he was a good qb in a bad era. There's a strong case that the best era of offensive and defensive play and players was around 1998-2015. Brady dominated a weak division. But the competition in the league overall was better.

[@jefferyappleberry5503]

I love this trio

[@Nyx_88888]

someone let me know before the rules about how to hit the qb were there more qb injuries?

[@yaboygabos4836]

He has the audacity to say this when he literally had a career of checkdowns, handing the ball off and dinking and dunking

[@PeanutButterAndJellyBros]

Because Brady had average receivers that he was throwing to. Lol quit watching highlights and actually watch the games. Made a career elevating average receivers. The audacity is well deserved.

[@yaboygabos4836]

@@PeanutButterAndJellyBros so does mahomes. He still airs it out tho and the only time Brady aired it out was when he had randy moss and Mike evans on his team (who are apparently average receivers)

[@PeanutButterAndJellyBros]

@@yaboygabos4836 Mahomes only had one season where he did that. This season he’s looking average. Brady been doing this since entering the league. Mahomes just began last season.

[@yaboygabos4836]

@@PeanutButterAndJellyBros Brady only aired it out to moss, did you forget that mahomes aired it out to tyreek hill for the 4 years they were together

[@pointyheadYT]

@@yaboygabos4836 When has Mahomes ever had average receivers? As far as I remember he always had at least Kelce. Had Tyreek a majority of his career aswell. I'd rank them among the top5-10 best receivers in the game each year they played together. (And yes, I know Kelce is a "TE")

[@generalposter4792]

The other part glossed over was player development "in college" before they even get to the pros because sophomores are going in the draft. And as far as Brady benefitting, if they want to put in a ridiculous rule you can exploit, you play the game and exploit it as well to the best of your ability.

[@robertm3951]

Brady had his own rules. It was a penalty to even touch him while they could hit Cam Newton in the head and not get flagged.

[@diver7799]

The NFL is unwatchable

[@adamlewis5700]

The irony of Tom talking about physicality is hilarious.

[@q_p13]

Didn’t Tom benefit from the rule changes 🤔 even in Tampa… I recall TB12 getting sacked against ATL in the 4th Quarter and the sack would’ve gave them a chance to win, and a flag was thrown bcuz of the angle the DT threw Brady to the ground n the penalty cost the falcons the game #facts

[@CrisJunkie]

He did benefit from them, but you know what's another fact? Tom Brady was speaking against those NFL changes that help offenses even when he was still on Tampa, so it's not just now that he's doing this.

[@rhuttner12]

That rule he benefited from, came from Rodgers collar bone injury

[@brianchua4240]

@@rhuttner12 thank you! The Brady rule was annoying, but the Rodgers rule is totally egregious. Last night, that Mahomes roughing the passer was totally ridiculous

[@q_p13]

Fellas the fact is the Brady rules exist as do the Rodgers rules… if he wanted reform he should of actively appealed these rule changes whilst an active player not after retirement n yes there is validity to his statement but the watering down of the game is a real issue but the rules won’t be reversed if anything they’ll progress further

[@q_p13]

@@CrisJunkie Tampa my boy not while winning 6 in NE tho 🤔 oh ok

[@larryvillarreal8936]

Speaking facts 💯

[@Bfrd25]

the added game and removing practice/preseason participation is another major issue Teams are really sloppy to start the season

[@kracusomniax3933]

The fun part of this is that Unc is agreeing with Tom but continues to champion Lebron and his era over Jordan.....and that era and the blood on the court in the 80s/90s. I still love seeing the mailman lay out Isiah Thomas. And now WE CAN'T EVEN PUT PEOPLE IN CHOKE-HOLDS!

[@leonardomoore1868]

@kracusomniax wtf does this have anything to do with Lebron James? U comparing BB to football just stop and effin concentrate on what's being said.😂😂😂😂😂😂😂lmao

[@flacko_jody2130]

Lebron is running your life bro

[@justintwarabimenye8441]

One point that has not been talked is that players don't seem to be masters of their crafts especially on the defensive side of the ball. A lot of players (QB included) just rely on their athleticism to get the job done. On defense, it looks like they barely study film. There's a reason why Brady is saying this. Once the master of his time retired (Ray lewis, Ed reed, etc), I was playing against players that didnt understand the game on his leve hence the mediocrity comment.

[@kilbourn]

You know it’s bad in the NFL when the rules have essentially legislated out the fundamentals.

[@rozilla66]

Finally something worth watching.

[@bluekai85]

Because rules changed, teams start passing more, once you pass more, QBs get hurts more, just pure statistics. League wants to protect QB, but ironically they cause the issue and use wrong ways to fix it. More QBs hurted, they change more rules, team pass even more, QBs will hurt more often than ever.😂