The Tom Brady rollout has arrived. With the 2024 NFL season rapidly approaching, and with it Brady's broadcasting debut for Fox Sports, the former New England Patriots great has been making various public appearances to show what fans should expect when he's in the booth come September. The latest of those came this past weekend, when he joined ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith on his eponymous podcast.
During his interview, Brady touched upon a topic he's proven to be very passionate about in retirement: how young quarterbacks are handled in the modern NFL. He went on an impassioned rant to Smith about how it's a "tragedy" that teams force rookie quarterbacks to play before they are ready by dumbing the game down, which doesn't allow them to develop at the necessary rate— a problem that starts at the collegiate level.
"There used to be college programs. Now there are college teams," Brady said. "You're no longer learning a program, you're learning a playbook. And the program is ultimately, like at Michigan for me, that is a pro-style program. For five years I got to learn how to drop back pass, to read defenses, to read coverages, to be coached. I had to learn from being seventh quarterback on the depth chart to moving up to third to ultimately being the starter. I had to learn all those things in college. That was development. Then I went to New England and I was developed by Coach Belichick and the offensive staff there. I didn't start my first year.
I think it's just a tragedy that we're forcing these rookies to play early. But the reality is the only reason why they are is because we've dumbed the game down, which has allowed them to play. It used to be thought of at a higher level."
Earlier this summer Brady lamented on the same subject, proclaiming quarterbacking has "gone backwards" as fewer QBs are given complete control of their offenses. Back then, Brady said the same thing— it's a systemic problem going all the way down to college, where players are not allowed to develop because coaches are more concerned about their jobs and thus coach the players as they are rather than trying to develop them. So this sounds like it may be a common refrain for Brady as he enters his broadcasting career.
Between this topic and his stray shot at Daniel Jones last weekend, Brady clearly has lot to say about bad quarterbacking. It will be interesting, then, to see what he says about good quarterbacking. The criticism is what goes viral but over the course of a full season Brady will see as many good plays as bad. Will he be as capable and quick to shower praise when called for?
Regardless of that question and answer, Brady clearly has developed his method of delivering strong opinions. A good early sign for FOX as the rookie analyst's debut nears.
