Tom Brady is unarguably the greatest player to have ever graced the National Football League (NFL). With a career spanning 23 years and uncountable personal honors, Brady has left an unforgettable impression in the league. Tom Brady’s record of winning seven Super Bowl rings may never be matched.
Hence, for a man who has so much experience with the game, his views are definitely worth hearing. Recently, Tom Brady appeared on ‘The Stephen A. Smith Show‘, and gave his opinion on the recent state of the NFL. To say Tom Brady was disappointed would be an understatement.
!["He Played in the Most Uncompetitive Division" - Former NFL Quarterback Criticizes Tom Brady For Calling the League 'Mediocre' 2 Tom Brady (credits-X)](https://www.sportsmanor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Tom-Brady-credits-X.jpg)
Brady minced no words as he talked about the mediocre levels in the NFL currently. He said that the excellence that he witnessed during his career was no longer present. Brady even added that the dip in coaching standards is also visible, as there is no development in the younger players.
“I think there’s a lot of mediocrity in today’s NFL,” Brady said. “I don’t see the excellence that I saw in the past. I don’t think the coaching is as good as it was.”
“I don’t think the development of the young players is as good as it was. The rules have allowed a lot of bad habits to get into the actual performance of the game. I just think the product, in my opinion, is less than what it’s been.”
Tom Brady’s comments are controversial to say the least. A lot of current players will be displeased with this opinion. Moreover, the coaches and support staff won’t be happy as well.
Former quarterback Alex Smith takes a shot at Tom Brady’s comments
Former NFL quarterback Alex Smith has hit back at Tom Brady’s comments on an episode of Sunday NFL Countdown. Smith played in the NFL for sixteen seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Washington Redskins. Smith was also the first overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.
Alex Smith said in reply that it didn’t suit Tom Brady to make such comments given that he played in the most uncompetitive division in NFL history. There is a lot of truth in Smith’s rebuttal, as the New England Patriots were extremely dominant over other teams during Brady’s prime in the AFC East. The Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and New York Jets all struggled with their teams.
Alex Smith totally disagrees with Tom Brady’s characterization of the NFL. pic.twitter.com/64FRRqM0jq
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 26, 2023
“My biggest complaint with this, and no offense to you guys—well all three of you guys,” Smith said. “He played in the most uncompetitive division, I think, in NFL history.”
Another excellent point that Alex Smith made was that Tom Brady himself is a part of the new generation of players! While he criticized the current level of the NFL, he just retired last year. It does not make a lot of sense given that he was an active player until last season and even won the Super Bowl a couple of years back in 2021 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The current crop of NFL players is most definitely very talented and has the capability of playing a high level of football. While it might be difficult to reach the level of Tom Brady, they are still not as bad as the former has described.