Tom Brady Slams 'Dumbed Down' NFL and Calls Out Rookie Quarterbacks' Readiness

The past couple of weeks in the NFL have been incredibly exciting for hardcore football fans, as rookie quarterbacks in the 2024 draft class take the field and show what they're capable of.

The likes of Caleb Williams, Bo Nix, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and Michael Penix Jr. have all dazzled with their respective teams, infusing their fanbases with an influx of confidence and cheer looking at the future, with many expected to take over as the starters for their respective offenses this year as rookies.

But if you ask future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady about all of this, he will tell you it's a bad thing.

On the Stephen A. Smith show on Monday, the seven-time Super Bowl champion slammed NFL teams for dumbing down their offenses and making it so rookie QBs can play right away, rather than grow and learn more complicated systems, as he did with the New England Patriots over two decades ago.

Related: Everyone's Saying The Same Thing About Bo Nix After Second Preseason Game With Broncos

In the end, Brady claims that this "dumbed down" version of the NFL is only going to hurt the young QBs in the end and limit their development in the long run.

“I think it’s just a tragedy that we’re forcing these rookies to play early, but the reality is the only reason why we are is because we’ve dumbed the game down, which has allowed them to play,” Brady said.

Brady has a point. Of the six QBs drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, five of them were expected to be the starters for their teams as rookies, with only Michael Penix expected to sit behind Kirk Cousins. All three of the first-round QBs from 2023 started the first game of the season as well.

Anymore, if you are drafting a passer in the first round, the assumption is that he will start right away, and if he doesn't it may be a red flag.

“It used to be thought of at a higher level," Brady continued. "We used to spend hours and hours in the offseason, in training camp, trying to be a little bit better the next year. But I think what happens is it discourages the coaches from going to deep levels because they realize the players don’t have the opportunity to go to a deep level. So they’re just going to teach them where they’re at.”

It's a strong opinion from Brady, but not necessarily a controversial one. The truth of the matter is that teams who are drafting a QB in the first round are often in a place where they need to succeed right away in order for coaches and management to keep their jobs. Because of this, they aren't in a position to be patient and wait for a QB to develop but rather need them to show promise right away.

Will it change anytime soon? At this point, it doesn't seem likely, so we will see how the nature of the position molds to fit the new narrative.

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