Bryce Young’s benching in Carolina made this viral clip of Tom Brady discussing quarterback development pop up again.
I didn’t get a chance to dig into it when it first surfaced in August. But between Carolina sending the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the bench and the early-season struggles of 2024 top pick Caleb Williams, I have every reason to revisit Brady’s words :
. on the tragedy that is being forced on rookie QBs in✱ today’s NFL
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith)
Some worthwhile breakout quotes tꦡ🥀hat I found to be worth re-sharing:
I think there will be some who hear Brady’s words and discard them like he was the old man yelling at the clouds meme from The Simpsons. And, to an extent, I understand why some folks might think that way. However, I keep re-watching the segment and thinking about how much football at the college and pro level has changed so much to the point where instant gratification has overtaken the player development aspect of the game.
MORE: Tom Brady is Keeping an Eye on Caleb Williams
The more I think about it, the more I realize I have the same fears Tom Brady has about football dumbing things down as part of an accelerated development process that hurts the players and the product. Part of me wonders if I’m going too deep. But another part of me thinks that it is OK to go beyond the surface.
What do you think about Tom Brady’s perspective?
This is an interesting angle from Tom Brady, who knows something about what it takes to develop as a quarterback. Sure, the football landscape has changed on so many different levels that what Brady experienced in college and the pros isn’t the norm anymore. Heck, it would be seen as a detriment in the eyes of many that Brady was benched in favor of hot-shot recruit Drew Henson. Brady’s career arc is as much of a story about perseverance as it is rooted in good processes yielding a desired result. Nevertheless, I think he is onto something.
As a football community, we don’t talk enough about how the best quarterback in the league right now (Patrick Mahomes) sat for 15 games before starting a meaningless regular-season finale in the last game of his rookie year. We don’t discuss how Lamar Jackson spent some time sitting behind Joe Flacco in Baltimore. Or how Josh Allen sat early, started due to injury, sat again, and then finished his rookie year as a starter in Buffalo. And we certainly don’t talk about the path Tom Brady took to reach G.O.A.T. status.
How many years did Jordan Love sit and observe behind Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay? Just saying…
In the end, I don’t think there is a tried and true formula when it comes to quarterback development. If there was, the copycat league that is the NFL would’ve snuffed it out by now and everyone would be using it. When it comes to Caleb Williams and the Bears, the toothpaste is out of the tube now and there is no putting it back. And it’s not as if I don’t like the idea of giving a rookie quarterback the keys to the castle and letting them sink or swim on their own accord. But still … the perspective of Tom Brady and his experience give us something to think about.
