Tom Brady knows a thing or two about the consequences for using a well-timed slide to stick his cleat into a nearby defender’s crotch. (He also used the slide technique in other ways.)
Brady is now suggesting that a poorly-timed slide should result in a penalty for the offense, too.
Appearing with Colin Cowherd, Brady suggested that quarterbacks be penalized or even fined for sliding too late.
After blaming play callers for jeopardizing quarterbacks by using designed runs, Brady said this: “Maybe they fine or penalize a quarterback for sliding late. You know, and say, ‘Look, if we don’t want these hits to take place, we’ve got to penalize the offense and the defense rather than just penalize the defensive player for every single play that happens when there’s a hit on the quarterback.”
It’s one thing to penalize a quarterback for a fake slide, or to throw a flag for the sideline okey-doke move that tricks defensive players into slowing down for fear of committing a late hit. The idea of penalizing a quarterback for sliding late is another matter entirely.
And it frankly makes no sense.
Sliding too late brings its own punishment; the quarterback gets hit, without consequence for the defensive player.
In the past, Brady has placed blame on quarterbacks for throwing passes that result in defensive players applying illegal hits to defenseless receivers. In that situation, however, the quarterback isn’t the one on the wrong end of the hospital ball. When the quarterback is running, the idea that he should be punished for getting down too late and taking a potentially concussion-causing legal hit is borderline ludicrous. Again, the legal hit as a result of the late slide should be punishment enough.
Brady’s voice carries extra weight, given his double-dip status as Fox broadcaster and part owner of one of the NFL’s teams. Which, frankly, makes it even more important that he use it responsibly.
In this instance, he’s not.
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