"You can't hit anyone in the knees anymore" - Tom Brady urges NFL to address WR protection after Chris Godwin's ACL injury 

The NFL has had a raging debate for years now on how the league has "changed" since the 90s, and one that Tom Brady feels "needs to be addressed."

Quarterbacks have much more protection and are flagging defenders for tackling them "too roughly." There's the helmet-to-helmet rule (penalizing a defensive player for leading with their head into another player's helmet) and defenseless player rule (penalizing a hit on a receiver who hasn't had a chance to defend himself), which make 100 percent sense and should be enforced.

Wide receivers also tend to have much more freedom with contact from defenders, making it easier to catch the ball these days. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady feels there is room for improvement when it comes to protecting wide receivers:

"You'cant hit anyone in the knees anymore except for receivers, which doesn't make any sense to me... You can't hit a defensive lineman in the knees. You can't hit a punter in the knees. You can't hit a quarterback in the knees... It needs to be addressed and really thought out... It really impacts the guy's careers..."

Tom Brady then went on to express confidence over Godwin's recovery after the wide receiver tore his ACL following a hit to the knee against the Saints. But Brady also admitted that rehab for an ACL tear is a difficult one.

"I know he'll overcome it. It's a tough rehab. You tear your ACL, that's a life-long injury, you know? And I'm sure almost every pass-catcher in the NFL would prefer a hit to the head over a hit to the knee. I certainly would." - Tom Brady to the Tampa Bay Times.

During the Buccaneers' 9-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Tampa Bay wide receiver Chris Godwin took a hit to the knees early in the game and was ruled out for the rest of the contest.

On Monday, it was announced that he had suffered a season-ending ACL injury. The hit to Godwin was clean and legal, but Tom Brady thought it shouldn't have been ruled that way.

There's some truth to what Tom Brady said. He himself tore both his ACL and MCL in 2008, missing most of the season. Based on his comments, Tom Brady still seems to have lingering issues with his knees more than 12 years later.

The NFL has been cracking down more and more on player safety, especially with head trauma. That brings us to the part where Tom Brady spoke about how he and receivers would prefer a hit to the head over a hit to the knee. Tom Brady is an intelligent man, on and off the field, but this comment likely won't age well.

A serious condition called CTE, which is caused by severe head trauma from the brain hitting the wall of the skull, has taken the lives of many young players over the years (Aaron Hernandez, Phillip Adams, Junior Seau). Many more have suffered from it without knowing. ACLs and MCLs are injured every year, more so in 2021 it seems, but players often bounce back the following season and still play at a high level.

The game of football has been catered more and more to quarterbacks and receivers over the years, making it more difficult to play good defense. Eliminating hitting a player in the knee makes some sense, but it makes it much harder for defensive backs to do their job on the field.

If the NFL was to look into Tom Brady's statement and make a new ruling, the only smart choice would be to flag a hit to the knees if it is an intentional act. Every hit to the knees can't be a penalty.

Impact of ACL injury on Chris Godwin's NFL future

Chris Godwin's wife Mariah took to Instagram to shed light on how her husband was dealing with the injury:

"If you know Chris [Godwin] at all you know why this is just gut wrenching. This man loves his team and loves what he does and f****** LOVES working to be the greatest he can possibly be." - Mariah on her husband's emotional injury

It's hard not to feel for Chris Godwin in this situation either. He's a young, talented player who should have a bright future in the NFL. There is no guarantee that he will return as the same player he was prior to the injury, but the odds of him returning as a top-level receiver are in his favor.

For Godwin, the timing was just awful. The Buccaneers went on to lose the game after his injury, and he won't get to play for the rest of the season, missing out on helping the Bucs potentially win their second straight Super Bowl. On top of that, he is set to become a free agent after this season.

The Buccaneers signed him to the franchise tag worth nearly $16 million in 2021. With 1,103 yards and five touchdowns this year, he was set to receive a large payday in 2022. Depending on how long his rehab takes, he might not get as large a contract as he would have received before the injury. Once again, there is a slim chance Godwin will not be able to play at the same level.

Some might say Tom Brady spoke on Godwin's behalf because the Buccaneers lost with Godwin and several other offensive stars out for the second half. With receivers like Tyler Johnson and Scottie Miller, Tom Brady could not move the ball, and his frustration showed on the sidelines.

There is a long run ahead of Chris Godwin until we see him on the field again and it will be interesting to see how far Tampa Bay and Tom Brady can get into the playoffs without him.