Tom Brady is the latest person to enter the discussion about the 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 they’re out of the pocket, they should lose their protection,” Brady said during a recent appearance on FOX Sports’ The Herd.
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Announcer Tom Brady looks on before an NFC wild card game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers at Lincoln Financial Field. (Bill Streicher-Imagn Photos)
“We’re trying to protect quarterbacks, but coaches are calling more quarterback runs than ever in the history of the game. So who’s protecting the quarterback? We’re trying to say the refs have to do it?”
Mahomes was the recipient of two calls in the Chiefs’ 23-14 win over the Houston Texans.
Texans star defensive end Will Anderson Jr. was flagged for a roughing the passer penalty for hitting Mahomes up against the end zone while throwing a pass, but what Brady appears to be alluding to is the penalty Mahomes received in the third quarter.
Mahomes was in the game in the third quarter and when he slipped, he was hit by two Texans defenders near the end zone as he went down.
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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 January 18, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Texans linebacker Henry To’oTo’o was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play.
There was another play in the fourth quarter when Mahomes appeared to embellish contact along the sideline in hopes of generating another flag, but the refs didn’t call penalties.
“The reality for me is that offensive players have to protect themselves. If they’re going full speed and the defender comes up – the only way to turn the ball over is to create power. You’re not going to blow the football and punch your way out of a running back’s hands or a quarterback’s hands,” Brady said.
“You’ve got to go there with power and knock it out. You’re trying to create turnovers. You’re trying to disrupt the ball. You’re trying to displace the ball. The only way to do that is with power. There’s got to be an aggressiveness to to do so.”
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes speaks at a news conference after an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/David Richard)
Brady said defensive players who play afraid of being penalized do the game a disservice.
“If you don’t want to get hit, you can go down, you can run out of bounds,” Brady said. “But you basically can’t have the defender come in at half speed and then run over the defender because he’s afraid of getting a penalty. It’s a disservice to the game. That’s something I would hope on. people really don’t talk about someone trying to take advantage of the rules, but they’ve gotten to a point where it’s affecting the quality of the game.”
When Mahomes’ Chiefs play the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game on Sunday at 6:30 p.m., there will certainly be extra attention on Mahomes and the refs.
