"I feel like it’s getting worse": Tom Brady once called out NFL over a safety risk sparked by Chiefs-introduced rule

NFL great Tom Brady played football for over two decades, during which he witnessed many changes in the game—some of which he supported, and some he didn’t. One such change he opposed was the jersey number rule change in 2021, suggested by the Kansas City Chiefs after they ran out of jersey numbers during the 2020 season.

Tom Brady wasn’t pleased with the rule change, as he felt it overcomplicated the traditional gameplay for no reason. During a press conference in September 2021, he said:

“You know, like, there are certain things that frustrate me, and I say, ‘Well, this is something I should speak up about.’ Things as it relates to pro football, the unions. And I’ve been around for 20 years to watch, and I say, ‘Is it getting better or worse?’ And when I feel like it’s getting worse, I go, ‘What are we doing? This is not the purpose of the game.’”

The NFL had stricter restrictions on jersey numbers, with only kickers, quarterbacks, and punters remaining unchanged. The move was made to accommodate the growing roster of teams, but it also provided some flexibility for jersey numbers of retired players and practice squads. Additionally, it accommodated upcoming players from college football to keep their numbers.

But Brady had issues with this. One was sentimental, as the change blurred his vision of traditional football, which he grew up watching. The other issue was logical, as Brady cited difficulties in marking players.

“And you study hard so you can put yourself in a good position. Now you get to the game, and you’re going to be confused the whole time because you’re rotating what a D-lineman used to look like versus a linebacker or here is what a safety looks like. Very pointless.”

But this isn’t the only rule change the 7x champion has criticized in the past.

Tom Brady has opposed many NFL rule changes

He was critical of the 2018 “Roughing the passer” or “Body weight” rule change, which prevented defenders from falling on quarterbacks with full body weight. He was also against the 2011 kickoff rule change, which moved kickoffs from the 30-yard line to the 35-yard line. Additionally, he opposed the 2023 fair catch rule, which allowed fair catches on kickoffs inside the 25-yard line to be placed at the 25, similar to college football.

According to Brady, these rule changes either affected the physical play or the strategic aspect of the game.