Why does Tom Brady think quarterbacking in the NFL has “gone backwards?”

With a career in broadcasting awaiting the soon-to-be Hall of Fame signal-caller, it’s not surprising that he’s weighed in on the nature of the position that he played during his iconic career. To hear Tom Brady tell it, the modern quarterback has taken a step back.

Tom Brady told us how he really feels about quarterbacks

Of all of the extraordinary attributes that Tom Brady was known for during his incredible career, the one that is often glanced over is the way in which he completely controlled his entire offense. Indeed, the seven-time Super Bowl had the capacity to quickly get to the line of scrimmage, identify the opponent’s defense, execute the required play, and of course, hit the target with a level of precision that was staggering. Not to mention Brady managed to do that with a consistency that was machine-like. To that end, it’s not surprising that the former Patriots and Bucs star gave a frank account of the current crop of quarterbacks.

Speaking with the media, Brady explained that things simply aren’t the same anymore. “I think the quarterbacking has gone backwards a little bit in the NFL,” Brady said. “I don’t think it’s improved. I don’t think the teaching’s improved. I think maybe the physical fundamentals might be a little bit improved because there’s better information out there for quarterbacks to study on mechanics. But I don’t think quarterbacks really are really field generals right now like they used to be.

“It’s a broad statement, certainly. But I had total control. I had all the tools I needed. I was coached that way. I was developed to have the tools that I needed to go on the field so that whenever something came up, I had the right play, the right formation, the right audible, the right check at the line - to ultimately take control of the 11 guys on offense and get us into a good, positive play.” This of course is where things get interesting as the now-retired star had a simple explanation for why the aforementioned problem is occurring: The coaches.

“I think now, there’s this try-to-control element from the sideline between the coaches, where they want to have the control,” he said. “And they’re not teaching and developing the players the right tools so that they can go out on the field and make their own decisions that are best suited for the team. When I looked at Peyton Manning, he was a guy that I looked up to because he had ultimate control. And I think the game’s regressed in a little bit of that way, based on what’s happened in high school football, college football, and then the NFL’s getting a much lesser developed quarterback at this point.”

Is Tom Brady correct?

The simple answer to that question would be, ‘to an extent.’ While Brady’s observation is accurate, there are still a number of quarterbacks in the league who are known for and continue to exert the level of control that he spoke of. If we take Aaron Rodgers for example, the New York Jets quarterback has made a career out of calling his own plays at the line. Indeed, the four-time MVP’s play calling actually became a problem for Matt LaFleur, the head coach of his former team the Green Bay Packers.

Rodgers isn’t the only one either, with the likes of the Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott also known for consistently changing the shape of his offense in response to the opposing defense’s formation. So too is the case with Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams as well as Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, and the two-way sensation that is Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson. This is all to say that several quarterbacks in the league exert a similar level of control as the one Brady speaks of, which brings us to the question of whether Brady has a point and if there is something that can be done about it.

To that, we can say ‘yes’ in answer to the first question and ‘to an extent’ in answer to the second. Are there many plays in which the coach is asking his quarterback to run with what has been called? Absolutely. On the other hand, there is a large degree of autonomy and flexibility given to quarterbacks today. Further to that, it should also be said that the game itself has changed. Most teams come with multiple options that enable quarterbacks to utilize different plays post-snap. There is also the fact that many quarterbacks today are far more physically capable than Brady ever was, an attribute that allows for all manner of variations in the position. Ultimately, there still is and will likely always be a need for quarterbacks to make changes to their offense in real time and it would be inaccurate to say that we don’t see that anymore. So, is Tom Brady truly correct?