Brady warns numbers move will make ‘bad football’

In this February 6, 2021, picture, Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers reacts after a touchdown run by Leonard Fournette (not pictured) against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Florida, United States. (AFP)

Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady said on Thursday that an NFL rule change easing jersey number restrictions was “dumb” and would lead to “a lot of bad football” next season. The 43-year-old quarterback who sparked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to victory in February’s championship game after winning six titles in 20 years at New England expressed his views on his Instagram account. NFL owners announced several minor rule tweaks Wednesday, including allowing greater variety in terms of what numbers players at particular positions could wear on their jerseys. The number restrictions helped make it easier for coaches and players like Brady to determine formations and schemes of opponents. The veteran signal caller might have more trouble detecting a favourable matchup for his receivers against a rival and also feared his protecting lineman would have issues as well. “Good luck trying to block the right people now,” Brady wrote with an image of the new numbering scheme. “Going to make for a lot of bad football.” Brady also had an image with a circled paragraph of a story about NFL owners approving the rule change with the word “DUMB” written above it and more extensive thoughts below. “Why not Let the lineman wear whatever they want too? Why have numbers? Just have colored jerseys?... why not wear the same number?...DUMB.” Quarterbacks, kickers and punters would wear numbers 1-19 while offensive linemen would wear 50-79 and defensive linemen would wear 50-79 or 90-99. Linebackers could wear 1-59 or 90-99. Defensive backs could wear 1-49. Running backs, tight ends and wide receivers would wear 1-49 and 80-89.