National Football League

Tom Brady is upset about the new NFL rule on jersey numbers, but is it a big deal?

Published Apr. 22, 2021 8:20 p.m. ET

The NFL might be the most traditional professional sports league in America, but there is a major rule change on the way.

NFL owners recently approved a change that would allow more players to wear single-digit numbers.

The rule change was initially proposed by the Kansas City Chiefs, who had a shortage of numbers in the 20-to-49 range last season due to having several retired jersey numbers.

Running backs, tight ends and wide receivers will now be allowed to wear any number from 1-49 as well as 80–89. Defensive backs will also now be permitted to wear numbers 1–49, while linebackers can wear jerseys between 1-59 and 90-99.

With the news of the new rule going public, there were players across the NFL who teased the idea of switching back to their single-digit college numbers, including Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown and Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joe Haden.

But while certain skill position players were excited about the new rule change, there is one prominent player who isn't too excited – Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady.

Brady took to his Instagram story to voice his frustrations with the change.

Brady believes that the new number changes will make it harder for quarterbacks to call out the right blitz protections and could lead to a sloppy brand of football.

He didn't just leave his comments on Instagram either, also going to Twitter to voice his frustrations.

For Brady to be this vocal about a rule change means that he sees it as a real issue, and Buccaneers beat writer Greg Auman broke down why that might be the case in a story for The Athletic.

"Brady has had a hand in NFL rule changes, going back to the "tuck rule," but it's unusual to have him chime in on a seemingly harmless rule that loosens restrictions on jersey numbering.

"For quarterbacks, it means you can read less about a defender from just their number, so it's more to process before and after a snap, but that seems like something you could adjust to easily with time. Brady has played 21 seasons with one numbering system, so he clearly would have liked to finish his career without having to learn a new one."

It remains to be seen how much of an issue this rule change might cause for quarterbacks on the field, but ESPN NFL analyst Ryan Clark doesn't seem to think too many currently established players will be in a rush to switch numbers.

Regardless, an irritated Brady seems to be the best version of Brady, evidenced by him proving he could win a Super Bowl without Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots this past season.

Now, even if it might seem minor, he just might have another chip on his shoulder.

For more up-to-date news on all things NFL, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!