Tom Brady is the latest person to enter the discussion about officiating calls surrounding Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Brady, 47, talked about how it should be the quarterback’s responsibility to protect himself.
“When quarterbacks become running backs and are out of the pocket, they should lose their protection,” Brady said during a recent appearance on FOX Sports’ “The Herd.”
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Broadcaster Tom Brady watches before an NFC Wild Card game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers at Lincoln Financial Field. (Images by Bill Streicher-Imagn)
“We’re trying to protect the quarterbacks, but coaches are calling more quarterback runs than ever in the history of the game. So who is protecting the quarterback? Are we trying to say the referees should do it?”
Mahomes was the beneficiary of two calls in the Chiefs’ 23-14 victory over the Houston Texans.
Texans star defensive end Will Anderson Jr. was called for a roughing the passer penalty for hitting Mahomes into the head area while throwing a pass, but what Brady appears to be alluding to is the penalty that Mahomes received in the third quarter.
Mahomes was struggling in the third quarter and, while sliding, was hit by two Texans defenders near his head area as he fell.
PATRICK MAHOMES ADDRESSES ALLEGATIONS OF REFEREE FAVORITISM AND FLOPPING AFTER OUTRAGE OVER PENALTY
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, #15, is tackled by Azeez Al-Shaair, #0 of the Houston Texans, during the first quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoff at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on the 18th January 2025 in Kansas City. Missouri. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Texans linebacker Henry To’oTo’o was penalized for unnecessary roughness on the play.
There was another play in the fourth quarter when Mahomes appeared to embellish contact along the sidelines in hopes of generating another flag, but the referees did not call a penalty.
“The reality for me is that offensive players need to protect themselves. If they’re running at full speed and the defender is closing in, the only way to turn the ball over is to create force. You’re not going to blow the ball out of a runner’s hands. or a quarterback,” Brady said.
“You’ve got to go in there hard and take him out. You’re trying to create turnovers. You’re trying to disrupt the passer. You’re trying to dislodge the ball. The only way to do it is hard. There needs to be aggressiveness to make that”.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes speaks at a news conference after an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/David Richard)
Brady said defenders who play in fear of being penalized are doing the game a disservice.
“If you don’t want to get hit, you can fall, you can run off the field,” Brady said. “But essentially, you can’t have the defensive player come in at half speed and then run over the defensive player because he’s afraid of getting a penalty. It’s not doing the game any favors. It’s something I hope people really address. “It’s not that anyone is trying to take advantage of the rules, but they’ve gotten to a point where it does affect the quality of the game.”
When Mahomes’ Chiefs play the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game on Sunday at 6:30 p.m., special attention is sure to be paid to Mahomes and the referees.
