Tom Brady says receivers should have legs protected like other players

[Betallsports]

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Four days after tight end Rob Gronkowski was carted off the field with a bone bruise/sprain of his right knee, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady hopes the NFL will consider rule changes for low hits on pass-catchers.

"Quarterbacks get their legs protected. Defensive linemen get their legs protected. Linebackers get their legs protected. I don't see why a defenseless receiver shouldn't get his legs protected as well."
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Tom Brady
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"It's obviously a contact sport, guys are going to get hit, [but] I do think they should change some of those rules with those defenseless receivers," Brady said in his Wednesday news conference.


"Quarterbacks get their legs protected. Defensive linemen get their legs protected. Linebackers get their legs protected. I don't see why a defenseless receiver shouldn't get his legs protected as well."


The topic was brought up to Brady in the context of a quarterback's responsibility to not put his pass-catchers in dangerous situations from an injury perspective. Brady had not been asked specifically about possible rule changes to protect defenseless receivers.


On the play that Gronkowski was injured Sunday night, Brady's throw was slightly behind him. Broncos defensive back Darian Stewart hit Gronkowski low on the incomplete pass as Gronkowski's leg whipped back as it made contact with Stewart.


"You hate to throw the ball to a position where your player, certainly one of your receivers, is in a vulnerable position," Brady said. "So it gets tough, and you always try to gauge how close a defender is and his ability to close on the ball, and so forth. It's a real hard thing for a quarterback. ...


"You know when a defender is in certain positions where you can't throw to your guy. You never want to throw into a certain zone where a guy is just eyeing you and lining your receiver up and it's a big blowup. There are a lot of times it's out-breaking routes and there's a corner that's sitting outside, and they come from the outside in and hit your receiver. You never really want to do that. We talk about that all the time."

 

[Betallsports]

Might as well stick a Flag in their back pockets ...:bigfinger

 

[Greenbacks]

Might as well call it flag football instead of tackle.

 

[919]

Two hand touch Tom

 

[celticGreen+]

Well sure, but I think his point was that *IF* you're going to do it for those other positions, do not for receivers too. The dude isn't a pussy. Took a shitload if gits in that buffalo game... And still found a way to get by, with a lot of injuries to skill positions and an o-line that was both injured a d playing terribly.

 

[NFLTrends]

What a crybaby... these guys know the risks when they play football. If you don't like what comes with the job, then don't take it, and find another line of employment.

 

[seldomseen]

What a crybaby... these guys know the risks when they play football. If you don't like what comes with the job, then don't take it, and find another line of employment.

Agreed. Same with college football.

 

[MikeB]

Well sure, but I think his point was that *IF* you're going to do it for those other positions, do not for receivers too. The dude isn't a pussy. Took a shitload if gits in that buffalo game... And still found a way to get by, with a lot of injuries to skill positions and an o-line that was both injured a d playing terribly.

This

 

[wilbur]

This

Brady lovin pussy

 

[Willie99]

haters hating, nothing to see here

as for me, I want to turn back time

 

[wilbur]

haters hating, nothing to see here

as for me, I want to turn back time

You want to be a Bears fan???

Welcome

 

[The Guesser]

Might as well stick a Flag in their back pockets ...:bigfinger

Can't hit high. Can't hit low. Can't hit a "defenseless" Receiver. You got it right. Mel Blount and Ronnie Lott are spinning.

 

[Willie99]

You want to be a Bears fan???

Welcome

haha, I'm talking about flags my friend

 

[Soriano12]

Might as well stick a Flag in their back pockets ...:bigfinger

Might actually help the Browns D to finally make a successful "tackle"

 

[Vlad the Impaler]

This stuff will eventually get so out of hand it will be laughable. But as new generations come in, that is all they will know. Only way to "tackle" is pushing a guy out of bounds and even then, there is a chance of a "late hit"

When I was a kid, we would play tackle football in the back yard with and without pads. These days, if I see neighbors playing football, it is in the street which is really just basketball with travelling allowed

 

[BostonBettor]

Just what we need - another rule that will result in more flags.

 

[919]

Tom will probably petition the league to disallow teams from hitting him in his p ussy

 

[CarolinaKid]

yes the rules changes now had made the nfl a joke to watch.soccer is so much better and it does not have 10, 000.00 breaks to sell crap...........what has happen to the nfl over the yrs is a joke

 

[razorbackpicks]

I think Tom has a point, all he is saying is if we are going to protect all these other's groups legs then receivers should be added to it. I disagree with the actual rule but his point is valid.

 

[MikeB]

I think Tom has a point, all he is saying is if we are going to protect all these other's groups legs then receivers should be added to it. I disagree with the actual rule but his point is valid.

Exactly.

Players are bigger, stronger and faster than they have ever been. There are a lot of cheap shot artists out there as well looking to cause injuries (Pollard, Suh....). There is so much on the line and so much to gain by an injured opponent that it's worth it sometimes.