Tom Brady was not pleased with the officials during the NFC Championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders.
Tom Brady’s comments about referees needing to ‘let the players play’ during the Philadelphia Eagles’ 55-23 NFC Championship victory over the Washington Commanders did not go over well with fans. During a conversation with his FOX Sports broadcast colleague Kevin Burkhardt, the seven-time Super Bowl champion revealed his dissatisfaction with the game’s referees.
“I do like the ability in the playoffs, I always felt this as a player: Let the players play,” the quarterback said. “Let them go out there and be physical. I’m not saying anything egregious, but I don’t like watching the refs get involved in too many games. I want to watch the guys on the field make the judgment about whether or not they advance.”
Fans quickly took to social media to express their shock at the 47-year-old’s criticism of the officials, with some claiming that Brady had frequently benefited from referee decisions during his career.
“Tom Brady saying he doesn’t want help from the officials is like Hulk Hogan saying he doesn’t like spray tanning machines,” snickered a fan.
A fan shared a gif of an incensed Brady, back when he was with the New England Patriots, berating a referee – a move that required intervention from another official to calm the fuming quarterback. The fan sarcastically remarked: “Did Tom Brady just say when he was playing he thought the refs should, ‘just let the players play’? ? ? Um that’s certainly his account of things I guess.”
Other enthusiasts brought up clips and images of Brady throughout his career engaging with officials, prompting one to comment wryly: “Tom Brady saying he doesn’t like games where the refs are too involved is so rich I think I just got diabetes.”
Brady has already aired his concerns about officials’ impact on games.
Following criticism of an unnecessary roughness call in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 23-14 victory over the Houston Texans, the great quarterback chimed in on the issue, backing with those who believed Patrick Mahomes had been favoured. “When quarterbacks become running backs, and they’re out of the pocket, they should lose their protection,” Brady explained to The Herd.
“We’re trying to protect the quarterbacks, but coaches are ordering more quarterback runs than at any other time in the game’s history. So, who is guarding the quarterback? We’re saying the referees should do it?”
Brady didn’t mince words while assessing the current condition of play, emphasizing player responsibility: “If you don’t want to get hit, you can go down or run out of bounds. However, you cannot have the defensive player rush in at half speed and then run over him because he is frightened of receiving a penalty.
“It’s a disservice to the game. It’s something that I’d hope people really address. Not that anyone’s trying to take advantage of the rules, but they’ve gone to a point where it does impact the quality of the game.”
Despite Brady’s critique, fans were treated to a stellar performance from the Eagles. Saquon Barkley, the star running back, left his mark on the match, rushing for 118 yards on 15 carries and securing three touchdowns.
