When Tom Brady said that there’s “a lot of mediocrity” in today’s NFL, some were confused and debated his point.
Retired NFL quarterback Alex Smith was one of them as he disagreed with his once-NFL rival. Smith pointed out that Brady “hasn’t been retired that long,” and that he essentially won a Super Bowl amid the mediocrity.
TAMPA, FLORIDA – JANUARY 16: Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers warms up prior to a game against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card playoff game at Raymond James Stadium on January 16, 2023 in Tampa, Florida.
Speaking on his “Let’s Go” podcast with hosts Jim Gray and Larry Fitzgerald, Brady decided to double down on what he said while expanding even further on his original comments.
Among his comments was Brady stating how coaches aren’t fully trusting their quarterbacks to call and change plays or read defensive coverages and at the same time, quarterbacks aren’t learning those skills.
“Coaches aren’t really trusting quarterbacks much — they’re trying to control the game from the sideline,” Brady said. “When you try to control the game from the sideline, you don’t have the answer for everything that’s happening on the field.”
“I just don’t see as much of that in the NFL,” Brady said. “There’s a lot less time that people are spending on it. That’s just the reality. When I started, there was a lot more time we spent on it. Over those years, I developed a lot of those tools in my arsenal to get us into the best play.”
Brady added: “That’s what Peyton [Manning] and I did. That’s what Drew Brees and I did. That’s what Philip Rivers and I did. That’s what Aaron Rodgers did.”
The seven-time Super Bowl champion further added that players are not fully versed in each other’s jobs, whether it’s route running, blocking, picking up blitzes, etc.
Brady stated that teams are so pressured to win quickly that they begin to rebuild their entire team before the previous players have a chance to jell with one another.
“But it’s hard, like I said, because we’re firing people every five minutes — offensive coordinators, play-callers,” Brady said. “‘Let’s promote that guy. Let’s call the GA up and let him call some plays.’
“This is just the reality of the way the sport is, because there’s so much pressure to get it right. In an effort to get it right, people may get it more wrong.”
He then stated that the league is looking more like the college game, calling it “more checkers than it is chess.”
“I think the point is, you want to see the game continue to grow and evolve,” Brady said. “That means better coaching, better quarterback play, and better defensive play-calling. I think a big difference, too, is the lack of time that coaches have with players, coaches have together in the building.”
Brady is a seven-time Super Bowl winner who ends his career as the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards (89,214), and touchdown passes (649).
