Tom Brady thinks the NFL has gone soft.
A lot has changed since the 44-year-old quarterback entered the league 21 years ago, including to the way the quarterback position has evolved.
While Brady remains a true and tried pocket passer, there are much more dual-threat and mobile quarterbacks in the league, which the seven-time Super Bowl champion attributes to too many penalties being called on defensive players.
“I would say the one thing that’s probably changed over the years in terms of why it’s probably gone a little more this way is, and I’ve alluded to this in the past, I think they’re calling more penalties on defensive players for hitting, you know for violent contact,” Brady said on his “Let’s Go” podcast with Jim Gray. “…There’s a lot of plays and hits that are happening on quarterbacks now, that are flags for defensive players, that probably weren’t that way 10- or 15 years ago.
“So I’d say the game is a little softer than it used to be. I think the defensive players are more on the defensive when they go in to tackle. And I think that’s probably adding to this element of quarterbacks outside the pocket and taking more chances, you know, than they did in the past.”
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While Brady’s criticism was centered on why the quarterback position has become more mobile, there is no doubt he has benefitted from the tougher penalties on defensive players, too.
In fact, after Brady tore his ACL during the 2008 season the NFL’s competition committee adopted a clarification on the rule prohibiting hits to a quarterback in the knee area or below.
Some have pointed to these protections as reason why Brady has had such longevity to his career.
Just last week, Kurt Warner tweeted he could have played until he was 50 under the new rules that offer protection to quarterbacks.
Brady is not totally anti-mobile QBs, though, acknowledging it adds a new element to the game — but one that comes with risk.
“I think the game changes in different ways, absolutely,” he said. “It evolves and changes and grows ad hopefully it’s getting better. And at the same time I think there has always been, you know, incredible athletes playing professional football at the quarterback position.
“Randall Cunningham was an incredible athlete. Kenny Stabler was an incredible quarterback. Roger Staubach was. Michael Vick, I mean, I don’t know if there’s anyone more athletic that’s ever played than Michael Vick. … I think it definitely adds an element to the game. But at the same time, the name of the game is scoring points. So, there’s definitely more volatility in that style of play over a period of time.”
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