Tom Brady believes quarterback development has taken a step back in the NFL. "I think it's just a tragedy that we're forcing these rookies to play early, but the reality is the only reason why we are is because we've dumbed the game down, which has allowed them to play," he said during a discussion with ESPN's Stephen A. Smith (40-minute mark) that ran on Monday.
"It used to be thought of at a higher level. We used to spend hours and hours in the offseason, in training camp, trying to be a little bit better the next year. But I think what happens is it discourages the coaches from going to deep levels, because they realize the players don't have the opportunity to go to a deep level.
So they're just going to teach them where they're at." Brady started his NFL career as Drew Bledsoe's backup with the New England Patriots and didn't become the full-time starter until his second season after Bledsoe suffered an injury. The all-time great also stayed at Michigan for a number of years instead of transferring or leaving early for the NFL, and he credited some of his development with that route as well.
"Five years (at Michigan), I got to learn how to drop back pass, to read defenses, to read coverages, to be coached," he said. "To deal with winning games, to deal with playing in Columbus, Ohio, in front of 110,000 people. I had to learn from being seventh QB on the depth chart to moving up to third to ultimately being a starter.
I had to learn all those things in college, that was .