Tom Brady calls NFL’s jersey number rule ‘crazy’

While many players and fans were excited and thrilled when the NFL loosened the rules around jersey numbers, allowing defensive players to wear single-digit numbers for the first time in decades. However, Tom Brady thinks otherwise.

NBC Sports reported that Brady spoke out against the rule change at the time it passed. It also said that he offered more expansive thoughts in a recent interview with the Tampa Bay Times.

Brady said that he is going to be at a disadvantage on Thursday night’s opener as Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson recently switched from No. 37 to No. 6, linebacker Jaylon Smith switched from No. 54 to No. 9 and rookie linebacker Micah Parsons will wear No. 11.

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“The number rule is crazy,” NBC Sports quoted Brady as saying. “Literally, guys changed their numbers today. I’m playing two guys who had different numbers in the preseason. So, yeah you’ve got to watch film and know who you’re studying but so do running backs. They’ve got to know who to block. So does the offensive line,” he added.

“It would be like saying, ‘What if I let the offensive linemen wear 82 and No. 9?’ They wouldn’t know who was eligible. Well that’s not fair. You’ll get your tail kicked. At least identify who the D-line, the linebackers and the safeties are. You’re going to have a lot of matchups where guys are blocking the wrong guys. I don’t know why that should be,” Brady said.

He also said that the NFL would have benefited from talking to former quarterbacks before changing the rule.

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“I have a lot of prospective things,” Brady said. “You know, like there are certain things that frustrate me and I say, ‘Well, this is something I should speak up about.’ Things as it relates to pro football, the unions. And I’ve been around for 20 years to watch and I say, ‘Is it getting better or worse?’ And when I feel like it’s getting worse, I go, ‘What are we doing? This is not the purpose of the game.’

Unfortunately for Brady, this change has been made, and it will not be changed back.