"That was a little ignorant" - Former Steelers star upset over Tom Brady's disrespectful take on NFL defenders
Tom Brady appeared on ESPN's Manningcast with long-time rivals Eli and Peyton Manning during last week's Monday Night Football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints.
Brady shared his thoughts on football and Super Bowls along with a tongue-in-cheek explanation for why NFL defenders can't play offense. It seemed like a lighthearted comment by the quarterback but it made headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Tom Brady just shredded every defensive player to ever play the game of football.
https://t.co/xXyq8nPx2u
Here's what Brady said on Manningcast:
“Have you ever been in some of those defensive meeting rooms? I mean, you wonder why they play defense, and after about two minutes, you go, ‘Yup, they can never be an offensive player.'"
The Buccaneers star added:
“Defense is kind of like a dog chasing a car, you know? Just get the guy with the ball.”
What did Ryan Shazier say about Tom Brady?
The damage was done. Brady's comments invited reactions from fans and NFL defenders, including former Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier.
The two-time Pro Bowl linebacker expressed disagreement over Brady's disrespectful take on NFL defenders.
“For him to be that good, I think it’s kind of disrespectful to a lot of the players he’s played before in his past. Obviously everybody’s not Tom Brady. I just feel that — for somebody to say that, that’s basically like saying guys on the defensive side of the ball aren’t intelligent enough to play offense. I would beg to differ," Shazier told Yahoo Sports.
The 29-year-old former defender added:
“I feel like a lot of guys on the defensive side of the ball that chose to be on defense because, obviously, they like hitting people. But also that they might be really good at diagnosing or understanding plays as well. For him to be somebody that knows the game of football so well, I thought that was a little ignorant."
Shazier's NFL career came to a premature end at the age of 25 due to a spinal injury. He's preparing to join the NFL's vast broadcast setup after making his debut as a color analyst last month, calling VMI-Kent State football for ESPN3. Shazier's new book, titled Walking Miracle, details his journey from partial paralysis to walking again at 29.
Earlier this week, Brady's former teammate Ted Bruschi — who won 3 Super Bowl rings with the Patriots — also took to Twitter to express his feelings on Brady's comments.
The former NFL linebacker tweeted:
Playing defense is like a dog chasing a car?! @TomBrady is not my friend anymore.
Also Read: What is Tom Brady’s Net Worth?