It looks like Tom Brady is taking his future role as an analyst seriously. Maybe too seriously, in Shannon Sharpe’s opinion. The former Patriots QB recently went off on the modern QB class, bemoaning the loss of the tough QBs of the yesteryears. According to him, there aren’t any “field generals” willing to take charge of their team like before. And if this is how his analyst career is going to look, Sharpe is just a little worried.
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Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson had a word of caution for the QB’s sharp comments. While speaking on the Nightcap, the two discussed his statement and even imparted some advice for the QB. While Brady’s opinion stands true about QBs not taking the kind of charge they did in the past, the comparisons might just be a little unfair, per Sharpe, who said,
“I think the thing is Brady has to be careful. Because he’s looking at himself, he’s looking at Peyton Manning, he’s looking at Drew Brees. Give these guys some time, Tom.”
Sharpe was concerned with the fact that Brady was being a little too harsh on the young QBs of the league. Quarterbacks like Manning and Brady did have a commanding presence during practice.
While Manning quite literally ran practice, Brady commanded the offense in a way that quarterbacks haven’t been able to make in the current generation. Both the greats were able to shift their offenses on the field like a general would lead his army. Admittedly, this is a skill that seems missing on the field in today’s game.
However, current-generation QBs haven’t had the time to develop to the level Manning and Brady are right now. The closest someone has come to being at their level is Patrick Mahomes and the podcast hosts highlighted this. While Sharpe spoke about how Brady needs to be careful with the kind of comments he makes, Johnson outright presented examples that prove Brady’s statement about field generals wrong.
Are There Really No “Field Generals” Left on The Field?
Ocho disagrees. While some QBs in the league might be lacking in the way they command the offense, there are still players who do exactly that on the field.
As Ocho pointed out, [layers like Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes have proven themselves to be QBs who impact the game on a crucial level. Moreover, he gave the example of a couple of rising stars who are heading in that direction. One obvious example is rookie quarterback CJ Stroud, who took over the reins in Texas in a fantastic way.
According to the former WR, Stroud has been able to turn around the franchise in less than one season, taking the Texans to the playoffs. Before him, the team was nowhere close to going to the playoffs. Furthermore, there’s Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy who was the missing piece in the 49ers offense, that took them to the Super Bowl. Despite being young and a low draft, Purdy has proven his command over an impeccable offense surprising everyone.
With such examples, Ocho’s counter to Brady’s statement does make sense. While many of today’s QBs are far from becoming the next Manning or Brady, their skills as field generals aren’t lacking. All they need is time to hone their command over the offense. And with the way players like Mahomes and Burrow are moving forward, it could happen soon.
