Tom Brady might be the GOAT on the field, but off it?
Brady’s latest take is raising eyebrows. The NFL icon chimed in on the hit that sidelined Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, but former Super Bowl champion Shannon Sharpe thinks Brady should be the last guy to talk about player safety, especially given the NFL’s “hands-off-the-GOAT” treatment during his career. It’s like the pot calling the kettle untouchable!
With Lawrence’s injury already stirring up player-safety debates, Brady’s take just turned up the heat. However, Sharpe’s side-eye is the real headline here.
Did Tom Brady Fumble Message on Trevor Lawrence’s Concussion Debate?
Brady might have seven Super Bowl rings, but Sharpe thinks he fumbled on this one. Brady’s recent comments on Lawrence’s concussion-causing hit had Sharpe questioning his credibility, calling him “the wrong messenger” for this debate.
The drama started after Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair laid a brutal hit on Lawrence in Week 13, leaving the Jaguars’ QB concussed. Also dealing with a sprained left AC joint, Lawrence has since been placed on injured reserve and will be out for the remainder of the season.
While most of the NFL world condemned Al-Shaair — who’s been suspended for three games — Brady took a different angle.
Speaking on “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd, Brady shifted the blame, saying, “When you run, you put yourself in a lot of danger. And when you do that, I don’t think the onus of protecting an offensive quarterback who’s running should be on an offensive player. I don’t think that’s really fair to the defense.”
Sharpe wasn’t buying it. On his “Nightcap” show with Chad Johnson, Sharpe unleashed, pointing out Brady’s career benefited from NFL rules designed to shield QBs.
“Tom Brady is the wrong messenger because they had a rule changed,” Sharpe said, referencing the rule implemented in 2009 after Brady’s ACL tear (thanks to a low hit).
“Does he not know ‘The Brady Rule’ was instituted to protect him? I get it; I get what he’s saying, Ocho, but he’s the wrong messenger. Because a lot of these rules that they put in place to protect the quarterback, he benefited from.”
Sharpe argued that Brady’s stance felt hypocritical, especially coming from a guy who played in an era where defenders were essentially told, “Hands off the GOAT.”
To hammer his point, Sharpe dropped an analogy comparing Brady’s comments to individuals who benefited from certain systems, only to turn their backs on others trying to do the same.
“Tom Brady said, ‘Well, hell, I ain’t got to take no more hits; punish the quarterback.’ Really, bro? Really?”
With Lawrence out and the Jaguars’ playoff hopes nonexistent, Brady’s remarks couldn’t have landed at a worse time. Sharpe’s fiery response highlights a deeper debate on player safety versus offensive risk-taking. The question now is whether Brady’s stance reflects tough-love truth or tone-deaf commentary.
