Pass-rush specialist Chuck Smith joined Dukes & Bell for his Tuesday appearance on the show and talked about what he thinks of Trent Dilfer’s comments about the game being easier for quarterbacks than it was when they played.
“It was the wild-wild west," Smith said. "I mean guys were taking shots, guys would put bounties on people. I know people hated the Saints years ago about the bounty. We put bounties on people every week, we put money on it, we put bounties, we would absolutely be proud when we knocked a guy out.
“What Trent Dilfer said to me is somewhat factual but it’s unfair. You can’t penalize these guys because the NFL changed the rules. Yeah, they benefit from not being able to re-route receivers and take head shots, but part of this game was keeping it healthy, but those players will adjust.”
Smith talked about why certain guys could have played in any era.
“Tom Brady could have played in that era, in our era," Smith said. "Patrick Mahomes would have played in that era, they would have just adjusted their games to be in it now. I can tell you this, they would have been a lot more sore, there would have been a lot more guys out of the game. But to me, Trent Dilfer I just think he kind of got caught up in the moment. But I don’t believe in what he says because you can’t penalize these guys because they never got a chance to play in that era.”