Brady pointed to how a lot of fundamentals of the game are being too regulated in the league, invoking the name of legends like Ray Lewis, Ronnie Lott and Rodney Harrison. He laments that a lot of the hits they laid out during their time would be viewed as penalties now.

“Offensive players need to protect themselves,” Brady said. “It’s not up to a defensive player to protect an offensive player. A defensive player needs to protect himself. I didn’t throw the ball to certain areas because I was afraid a player was going to get knocked out. That’s the reality.”

While Brady certainly has a point, given how recently he played in the league, he and his teams were certainly the beneficiaries of that regulation, particularly with the roughing the passer penalty—which has been a subject of controversy for the past several years.

In the end, it’s not rare for legendary players to be nostalgic of the good ole days when they were in the action. But Brady’s voice certainly carries weight when he discusses the issues with the NFL’s present and future.

Brady retired at the end of the 2022 season after 23 years in the league.