Tom Brady, widely regarded as the greatest quarterback in NFL history, recently opened up about his no-nonsense approach to working with wide receivers.
The former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers star set an incredibly high standard throughout his career, and it turns out that some of his teammates didn’t always meet those expectations.
In a candid interview with Stephen A. Smith, Brady praised the commitment of certain teammates, particularly Wes Welker, while also expressing his frustration with others who didn’t measure up.
“The best teammates I ever had showed up to work every day,” Brady said, reflecting on his time in the NFL. “I never had to worry about their effort or their attitude.
“When I called a play, I knew Wes Welker was going to run his ass off on every single play, whether he got the ball or not. I never questioned whether he would do the right thing. That freed my mind to focus on what I needed to do because my job’s not easy.”
However, Brady was just as clear about what happened when a receiver wasn’t up to his standards. He explained that his approach was simple and unwavering.
“If I gotta worry, and I look out and see a receiver who barely lined up right, or he’s looking over at the sideline asking the coach, ‘What do I got?’ – he’s out,” Brady recalled. “I’m throwing the ball somewhere else.”
This wasn’t just a casual remark, as Brady revealed that he was direct with his coaches about his expectations.
“I would tell them directly, ‘He’s out. Put him out,'” Brady emphasized. “And I would tell the coach, ‘Don’t put him in because I’m not throwing him the ball. You put him in, we’ve got 10 guys out there.'”
Brady’s demanding nature played a significant role in his extraordinary success, which includes seven Super Bowl titles – six with the Patriots and one with the Buccaneers.
Over his career, he threw for an astonishing 89,214 yards, including 4,694 in his final season at the age of 45.
While Brady had the privilege of working with some of the best offensive weapons in the game – such as Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Deion Branch, Randy Moss, Mike Evans, and the aforementioned Wes Welker – his comments highlight that his trust wasn’t easily earned.
For Brady, it was all about precision, preparation, and unwavering effort. (Can you imagine Brady having to deal with Kadarius Toney?!?)
What are your thoughts on Brady’s interesting comments???