In a recent interview with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, former NFL star Tom Brady shared his views on the league's current state, expressing concern about what he perceives as mediocrity.
"I think there's a lot of mediocrity in today's NFL. I don't see the excellence that I saw in the past," said Brady.
“I think the coaching isn't as good as it was. 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.”
Brady, who played quarterback for 23 seasons in the NFL, also criticized the impact of recent rule changes, suggesting that they have allowed undesirable habits to creep into the game.
One significant change is the reduced intimidation factor from defenders. He argued that stricter penalties in today's NFL would have altered the playing style of past defensive greats like Ray Lewis and Ronnie Lott.
"I look at a lot of players like Ray Lewis and Rodney Harrison and Ronnie Lott, guys that impacted the game in a certain way," said Brady.
"Every hit they would have made would have been a penalty. You hear coaches complaining about their own player being tackled."
The 46-year-old emphasized the need for offensive players to take responsibility for their own protection and criticized the current trend of seeking favorable calls rather than focusing on fundamental skills.
Despite his belief that the NFL has become softer, Brady admitted to adjusting his game strategy in the past to protect his receivers from devastating hits. He suggested that the present environment allows quarterbacks to make riskier throws without the fear of a game-ending or season-ending hit.
"I didn't throw it to the middle when I played Ray Lewis because he'd knock them out of the game and I couldn't afford to lose a good player," he said.
Brady's NFL career
During his career, Brady spent 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, playing a pivotal role in the team's dynasty from 2001 to 2019 under head coach Bill Belichick. He then spent his final three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In the 2021 season, Brady broke Drew Brees's record for career passing yardage, totaling 80,358 yards. He also made history as the first player to throw 600 touchdown passes. The season concluded with Brady topping the league charts with 5,316 passing yards, a career-high for a single season and 43 touchdowns, contributing to Tampa Bay's capture of a division title.
After announcing his retirement in February 2022, Brady made a surprising return less than two months later. The 2022 season witnessed Brady becoming the first player to surpass 100,000 yards in his career, including both regular season and playoffs.
Widely acclaimed as the greatest quarterback in NFL history, his legacy is characterized by unparalleled success and contributions to the sport. Brady achieved seven Super Bowl victories and was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) five times.
Despite not being the strongest or quickest, Brady is known for his tenacity, smart playmaking and exceptional leadership. He is also famous for his fitness approach, outlined in his 2017 book, "The TB12 Method: How to Achieve a Lifetime of Sustained Peak Performance."
Brady announced his retirement again from the NFL in early 2023, taking a year to transition out of his playing days. He is set to make a leap in broadcasting by joining Fox Sports in 2024, allowing him to observe the league from a different perspective.