Unlike Tom Brady, Barry Sanders thinks that the NFL is in good shape. The Hall of Fame running back and Detroit Lions legend was recently asked about Brady saying that “there’s a lot of mediocrity” in today’s NFL.
Sanders, who received a statue from the Lions earlier this fall, admitted that his opinion is largely based on the current success of his former team. Detroit, even with Thursday’s loss to the Packers, is 8-3 and in first place in the NFC North division.
“Well, maybe he’s talking about the teams that he played for,” Sanders said of Brady on Robert Griffin III’s podcast. “The team that I played for, no. It’s anything but mediocre. For us as Lions fans, maybe I just have blinders on, because of how we’re leading the division.
“I still see a great product. Still see great teams. Very popular game. I would listen to anything he has to say, but hey, look, I think this is like the greatest product, the greatest things we’ve ever seen as Lions fans. So I’m gonna enjoy this for a while.”
As Sanders alluded to, Brady’s former teams haven’t enjoyed the success this season that the Lions have. The Buccaneers are 4-6 after a 3-1 start. The Patriots are 2-8 and currently employ the league’s 31st-ranked scoring offense.
“I don’t think the coaching is as good as it was,” Brady said of the current state of the NFL during an appearance on “The Stephen A. Smith Show.” “I don’t think the development of the young players is as good as it was. The rules have allowed a lot of bad habits to get into the actual performance of the game. I just think the product, in my opinion, is less than what it’s been.”
While Sanders doesn’t agree with Brady, former league MVP and current Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers does. Specifically, Rodgers feels that it is almost impossible to play defense in today’s game.
“If I’m looking at this from a real big picture, there’s a softening of society that has definitely caused things like this,” Rodgers said on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “Hockey doesn’t have an enforcer position anymore. Why? Because we need the fighting out of hockey. It’s too violent.
“I think people wanna see football be a collision sport. Not to where guys are getting mangled on the field but they enjoy the big hits. There’s certain players who you just knew were big hitters and pushed the line of what’s a cheap shot and what’s a legit hit.”
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