Tom Brady has something to say to NFL players who want to stay safe on the sidelines during preseason games.
Join the action.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion recently criticized the trend of established players skipping exhibition games after a fan shared a clip of him playing in a 2010 Patriots preseason matchup.
Brady shared the video on his Instagram Story, expressing his thoughts clearly.
“Preseason… regular season… I never wanted to be taken off the field. Practice makes perfect,” he stated. “Too many people these days are looking for the easy way out.”
The video is from an August 26, 2010 preseason game against the then-St. Louis Rams, where Brady took charge during New England’s opening offensive series in the fourth quarter. He threw 18 completions on 22 attempts for 273 yards and three touchdowns, finishing with a perfect passer rating of 158.0, including a 65-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss.
At that time, Brady had already secured three Super Bowl titles and two Super Bowl MVP awards, so he really didn’t need to prove his worth to stay on an NFL roster.
Of course, there are valid reasons for keeping star players out of what some may consider meaningless preseason games. With the NFL now holding 17 regular-season games, it makes sense that coaches would be hesitant to risk their heavily-paid athletes in August.
But it seems that Brady isn’t swayed by that line of thinking.
“When you’re a football player and it’s football season, your job is to play football,” he concluded.
This could come off as just another instance of an older player critiquing the younger generation for not putting in the same effort.
Yet again, Brady’s seven Super Bowl rings serve as a testament to his perspective.
So, maybe there’s some truth to his words.
