Tom Brady believes the NFL is evolving, but not in a good way. The former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers signal-caller and future Hall of Famer compared the current state of the league to flag football. Worse yet, the GOAT believes the comparison will only get more sticky over time.
Brady is no longer a player in the NFL, so he can let remarks fly in his retirement life that he couldn’t when he was under the thumb of Roger Goodell. Yet, there is a sense of irony in Brady’s remarks.
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What Did Tom Brady Say About the Current NFL Game?
Brady believes the NFL has gone soft and that the trend will continue. He also suggests that several fans despise the game’s direction and that NFL purists push back at the flag football-esque version of the modern NFL.
Tom Brady is absolutely right about the rule changes favoring offense too much and it shouldn't be the defensive player's responsibility to protect the offensive player, it's just bizarre for HIM to be the one pointing it outhttps://t.co/0lq9W34Ns7
— Bayek of Sowa (@SowaTheArrogant) October 17, 2023
“There are so many people that want it less and less physical; it’s more like flag football, which is going to be in the Olympics in 2028,” Brady said. “Maybe football goes to flag football over a period of time.”
The former Patriots legend has a point. Some of the flags being thrown on any given Sunday are egregious.
Player protection is at an all-time high, but football has always been a physical sport. Taking the collisions out of football is transforming the most popular sport in America, and some purists won’t stand for it.
“Football is a physical sport; there’s a physical element to all of this,” the future Hall of Famer said. “You throw a 15-yard flag for something that, you know, 20 years ago maybe wouldn’t have had a flag. That affects the game in a big way.”
This is pretty rich coming from the golden boy who was blessed with more bad calls go his way than anyone in NFL history, but he is correct there are too many flags…. At least half or more penalties have zero impact on the play they’re call on ! https://t.co/NolY6vTM0z
— Bob Wilkinson 🌴🏝🌴 (@Brantfordbob59) October 17, 2023
The irony is not in the message being sent — it’s in the messenger.
MORE: QB Power Rankings 2023
Many former players would argue that Brady benefited from protection from the officials more than anyone in NFL history. The league prefers to see its stars in the biggest games, so perhaps the GOAT got a call or two his way.
Will Brady Return to a Softer NFL Game?
The greatest QB ever has retired and then unretired, only to retire again. While it appears that Brady is retired for good, NFL fans work under the “never say never” premise.
Brady is attempting to complete a deal to become a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, which would complicate matters if he wanted to play again.
Lol 😂 How did lightning immediately not strike him down? Tom Brady Criticizes Refs, Says NFL Has Become 'More Like Flag Football' https://t.co/9tw2uomusQ
— A Fool to Cry 🦋 (@afooltocry) October 17, 2023
The seven-time Super Bowl champion is officially done, and his playing days are over.