Tom Brady’s Stance on NFL Preseason Participation

Tom Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, has a message for NFL players opting out of preseason games: participate. He recently commented on the trend of established players sitting out of exhibition matches, in response to a fan sharing a 2010 clip of him playing in a New England Patriots preseason game.

Brady shared the video on his Instagram Story, voicing his opinion clearly. “Preseason… Regular season… I never wanted to be taken off the field. Practice makes perfect,” Brady stated. He criticized the search for easier paths, expressing that too many players take the easy way out.

The clip featured Brady playing in an August 26, 2010, preseason game against the St. Louis Rams. Brady stayed on the field through New England’s first offensive series of the fourth quarter. He completed 18 of 22 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns without interceptions, achieving a perfect passer rating of 158.0. One memorable play was a 65-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss.

At that time, Brady already had three Super Bowl titles and two MVP awards to his name, proving his skill. Despite this, he continued to participate actively in preseason games.

The practice of resting star players in preseason games is understandable. With the NFL season now including 17 regular-season games, coaches aim to protect high-value players from injury risks. However, Brady seemed dismissive of this approach.

“When you’re a football player, and it’s football season, your job is to play football,” he asserted.

While some might view Brady’s comments as typical advice from a retired legend to a younger generation, his record of seven Super Bowl victories suggests he knows a bit about commitment and hard work in football.

The debate on whether star players should participate in preseason games continues, but Brady’s perspective adds an interesting viewpoint to the discussion.