After an illustrious playing career spanning less than a year, Tom Brady expresses discontent with the current state of the NFL. The retired quarterback, who concluded his remarkable 23-year tenure earlier this year, voiced his concerns about what he perceives as a decline in the league’s standards during an appearance on “The Stephen A. Smith Show” on Monday.
Brady pinpointed coaching and player development as key factors contributing to his assessment. He contends that overall strategic schemes have waned, emphasizing a diminished emphasis on robust young player development and a decline in coaching quality. Additionally, he criticized the impact of rule changes, asserting that they have led to the entrenchment of negative behaviors in players’ gameplay.
The validity of Brady’s observations finds support in the NFL’s scoring trend, which indicates a decrease in 2023 for the fourth consecutive season. The average point total for teams now stands at a mere 43.3, compared to 43.8 in the previous campaign and 45.9 in 2021. Should this trend persist, the league is poised for its lowest-scoring season on average since 2009.
A significant contributor to the scoring slump appears to be the elevated rate of quarterback injuries. Prominent players like Aaron Rodgers and Kyler Murray have missed substantial playing time, while notable figures such as Joe Burrow, Kirk Cousins, Deshaun Watson, and Anthony Richardson have suffered injuries resulting in the premature end of their seasons.
Brady stated his disapproval of recent rule changes meant to protect players from injury, even if he acknowledged the physical character of the sport. He contended that because of the rules, players are now free to play carelessly, and hard hits are penalized.
Brady, who holds the record for most passing yards and touchdown passes in NFL history, made it clear that he doesn’t think much has changed in terms of the caliber of players since he joined the game in 2000. Rather, he highlighted a downturn in collegiate player development. Brady argued that, at the start of his career, college players were more prepared; he attributed this change to coaching changes and the absence of player development initiatives in college football.
All things considered, Brady’s analysis points to a number of factors, including quarterback injuries, rule modifications, player development, and coaching, as reasons for what he believes to be a fall in the standard of play in the NFL nowadays.
