Tom Brady has given his perspective on how quarterbacks should handle scoring celebrations, a critique many thought was aimed at Shedeur Sanders by the seven-time Super Bowl champion.
His remarks, made during an interview with Cris Collinsworth on Monday, struck many as a thinly veiled critique of Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback, whose flashy on-field gestures have already drawn plenty of attention.
Tom explained that he watches closely how quarterbacks act after throwing a touchdown and rather than spotlighting themselves, he prefers when they immediately acknowledge their teammates, particularly the offensive linemen whose blocking allows the play to succeed.
“When a quarterback throws a touchdown pass, I actually watch to see who he goes and celebrates with,” Brady said, via Pro Football Focus. “I looked for my offensive linemen every time.
“That’s way more intimidating than a quarterback doing his six shooter guns and pointing up in the crowd and doing all that other bulls**t. That’s very self-promotional.”
Although Brady never mentioned Sanders directly, many observers believe they have connected the dots to Coach Prime‘s son, who is known for his signature “watch flex” celebration, where he raises his wrist to suggest it is his time to shine.
Shedeur has cultivated a bold, unmistakable brand on and off the field as his clothing line, 2Legendary, features his name and logo, and he regularly wears it during workouts, media appearances, and podcast recordings.
The branding was front and center during the 2025 NFL Draft, where the 23-year-old opted not to attend the event in Green Bay as instead, he hosted a draft party in his hometown of Canton, Texas.
That confidence, however, has not resonated with everyone as Brady, who is now a minority owner of the Raiders, values a team-first approach as Las Vegas bypassed Sanders several times during the draft.
They eventually secured their quarterback plans by trading for and extending Geno Smith whilst Sanders ultimately slid to the fifth round, where Cleveland selected him with the 144th overall pick.
Sanders loses running back weapon ahead of Week 1 Bengals clash
As Sanders prepares for his official debut, the Browns have had to adjust their backfield depth as reports confirmed that Cleveland waived Pierre Strong Jr., who had reverted to injured reserve after clearing waivers.
That leaves Jerome Ford, Dylan Sampson, and Raheim Sanders as the primary options at running back with Quinshon Judkins currently unsigned, despite being the team’s second-round draft pick.
A growing number of 2025 draft selections have delayed signings while seeking greater guaranteed money, but in the case of Judkins the matter liukely relates more to his domestic violence arrest.
Although charges were not formally brought against the novice, the NFLPA is conducting its own investigation and could suspend him as per ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Rossi.
For now, Ford is expected to carry the bulk of the workload. The young running back recorded 565 rushing yards and three touchdowns in 2024 while splitting time with veteran Nick Chubb, who has since joined the Houston Texans.
Should Ford thrive as the featured back, the Browns could establish balance in an offense that now features Sanders as the third-choice quarterback behind Dillon Gabriel and the starter, Joe Flacco.
Read the full article here
