In a recent conversation, former New England Patriots QB Tom Bray touched on how NFL referees’ adjudication of defenders’ contact on quarterbacks who are running, like the recent controversy surrounding Patrick Mahomes, is creating an inferior brand of football.
Tom Brady Lambasts NFL Referees for Personal Foul Calls on Quarterbacks
One of the biggest controversies from the NFL’s Divisional Round games was the referees’ treatment of Mahomes. The Chiefs quarterback received two calls that some believed were bail-outs that allowed the team to stretch their lead over the Texans. One was a dodgy roughing the passer call, while the other was a personal foul call after Mahomes began rushing.
Both incidents sparked a wave of intense hate for the Chiefs as NFL fans across the spectrum bemoaned the foul calls the three-time Super Bowl MVP received. Troy Aikman, who was the color commentator on the broadcast, couldn’t hide his own annoyance at the calls.
This has sparked renewed conversations about how modern NFL quarterbacks are being excessively protected. Mahomes and his AFC Championship Game opponent, Josh Allen, have both been criticized for their antics, which has led to penalties on defenses.
Brady, who has been on a tirade since his retirement while lamenting the state of quarterback play in the NFL, was recently a guest with Colin Cowherd on his FS1 show, where he talked about this issue.
Cowherd asked Brady what he thinks of the late hits on quarterbacks and the controversy about the NFL protecting quarterbacks. The seven-time Super Bowl champion did not mince words as he laid the core of the issue out:
“There’s an aspect that I don’t like about some of these defensive rules,” Brady said. “I think I’ve been pretty outspoken, not just on broadcasts, but just in general over the last bunch of years.”
“… When quarterbacks become running backs, and they’re out of their pocket, they should lose their protection,” Brady continued. “In essence, we’re trying to protect the quarterbacks, but coaches are calling more quarterback runs than ever in the history of the game. So, who’s protecting the quarterback? We’re trying to say the referees should do it?”
"The reality for me is offensive players need to protect themselves."@TomBrady discusses controversial personal foul calls on Patrick Mahomes pic.twitter.com/Wua4d6CtGP
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) January 22, 2025
“… If you don’t want to get hit, you can go down, you can run out of bounds,” Brady said. “But you can’t, in essence, have the defensive player come in at half speed, and then you run over the defensive player because he’s afraid of getting a penalty. I think it’s just a disservice to the game.”
Brady has every right and reason to feel aggrieved by what he feels is excessive coddling of quarterbacks on the run. He played against some extremely physical defenses during his first five NFL seasons before rules were changed to protect quarterbacks. Even after those changes, some of which can be accredited to star QBs like Brady, he never gamed the rules to his advantage as a rusher.