Tom Brady on hit that injured Chris Godwin: 'That should not be allowed in the NFL'
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady wasn't a fan of the hit that resulted in Chris Godwin's injury. Godwin will miss the rest of the season after tearing his ACL during Sunday's loss against the New Orleans Saints.
Godwin was injured on a brutal hit in which the defender's helmet made direct contact with Godwin's knee. Godwin left the contest and was unable to return. The next day, it was revealed Godwin tore his ACL.
Brady expressed frustration with the play on his "Let's Go" podcast, saying those types of hits need to be taken out of the game.
"Chris got hit in the knees yesterday, which is a play that I think they ought to take out of the game of football from a receiver standpoint. I kind of talked to the PA about it for a while. I would like to speak to the rules competition committee at some point this offseason. I've seen that hit too many times, where a defenseless pass catcher is in the process of catching a ball, then he's hit by the defender.
"A lot of the defenders will say, 'Well, we can't hit them in the head any more.' Well, the point is, you can't hit anyone in the head anymore and you can't hit anyone in the knees anymore, except for receivers. You can still hit them in the knees, which doesn't make any sense to me."
Brady said he didn't think the hit on Godwin was "a cheap hit." Brady said the defender is allowed to make that type of tackle. But Brady believes there needs to be a rule that forbids that type of play. He added, "That should not be allowed in the NFL."
Tom Brady knows about the dangers of being hit in the knee
Brady is speaking from experience. He also tore his ACL after getting hit in the knee in 2008. Brady was hit by Kansas City Chiefs defender Bernard Pollard. The injury knocked Brady out for the entire 2008 season. He was replaced by Matt Cassel, who led the Patriots to an 11-5 record.
Following Brady's injury, the NFL outlawed defenders lunging at quarterback's knee. If it worked for Brady that time, perhaps he can use this opportunity to make change for receivers as well.
