Former San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith has criticized Tom Brady for his recent comments about the league's state.
"My biggest complaint to this and no offense to the three of you guys," Smith told colleagues Randy Moss, Tedy Bruschi and Rex Ryan on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown.
"He played in the most uncompetitive division in NFL history. I mean, you come out of training camp in the biggest cupcake division, you got a ticket to the playoffs right away. Like, talk about mediocre."
Moss, a former New England Patriots wide receiver, and Bruschi, a former Patriots linebacker, were both teammates with Brady and experienced consistent success in the AFC East. Meanwhile, Ryan was a former head coach of the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills and had experience facing Brady-led teams.
Responding to Smith's comments, Ryan playfully acted offended. Bruschi and Moss just smiled as Smith kept talking.
"I completely disagree with this. I know he's referencing the rule changes over the middle of the receiver but in my opinion, I think that game has gotten better," said Smith.
According to Smith, there is now more parity across the league compared to 30-40 years ago. He emphasized that quarterback play is currently at an all-time high, and the league is currently experiencing a golden age of defensive linemen.
"Listen, I love Tom. The GOAT. But first off, he hasn't been retired that long. He was just playing. He just won a Super Bowl in the current game. Are we discounting that one?" said Smith, referring to Brady's 2021 Super Bowl victory with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brady's comment on NFL
In a recent appearance on "The Stephen A. Show," Brady expressed his views on the current state of the NFL. He said there has been a noticeable decline in excellence.
"I don't think the development of young players is as good as it was. I don't think the schemes are as good as they were," he said.
“The rules have allowed a lot of bad habits to get into the actual performance of the game. So, I just think the product, in my opinion, is less than what it's been.”
During the appearance, Brady pointed to changes in the regulation of defensive players, emphasizing that hits deemed acceptable in his playing days would now result in penalties.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion also criticized coaches for complaining about their players being tackled, saying they should focus on teaching players how to protect themselves.
"We used to work on the fundamentals of those things all the time. Now they're trying to be regulated all the time," said Brady.
According to Brady, both offensive and defensive players need to protect themselves, rejecting the idea that it is up to the defensive player to shield the offensive player.
"I didn't throw it to the middle when I played Ray Lewis because you knock him out of the game and I couldn't afford to lose a good player," he said.
"So, guys like that, the only way to beat skill was physicality."
Brady spent 20 seasons with the Patriots and his final three with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After announcing his retirement in February 2022, Brady made a surprising return less than two months later. Brady then officially retired from the NFL in early 2023.