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Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady gave harsh criticism of the current state of the NFL months after his retirement.
"I think there's a lot of mediocrity in today's NFL. I don't see the excellence that I saw in the past," Brady said during an appearance on 'The Stephen A. Smith Show' Monday (November 20).
"I think the coaching isn't as good as it was," Brady added. "I don't think the development of young players is as good as it was. I don't think the schemes are as good as they were.
"The rules have allowed a lot of bad habits to get into the actual performance of the game. So I just think the product in my opinion is less than what it's been."
The NFL has seen a decline in scoring for the fourth consecutive season in 2023 with teams combining for a total of 43.3 points per game, less than the 43.8 average in 2022 and 45.9 in 2021 and on pace to have its lowest-scoring average since 2009, when teams combined for 42.9 points per game. The league has also seen a significant amount of injuries at the quarterback position with Joe Burrow, Kirk Cousins, Deshaun Watson and Anthony Richardson all suffering season-ending injuries, as well as Aaron Rodgers being projected to miss the remainder of the season -- though claiming to make a potential comeback -- and Kyler Murray missing significant time.
Brady announced his retirement in February prior to becoming a free agent and could still sign with any NFL team as his purchase of an ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders is still pending league approval. The San Mateo native is the NFL's all-time passing leader for yards and touchdowns, as well as quarterback wins, among numerous other records and his seven Super Bowl championship victories -- having won six with the New England Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- are more than any other NFL player or team.