Peyton Manning’s former center joins Tom Brady’s rant slamming regulation of playing hard in the NFL

Earlier this week, former NFL quarterback Tom Brady went on a rant about how he thinks there is less talent in today's NFL and that the league isn't as talented as the previous year.

Brady thinks the coaching isn't as good, he doesn't think the development of young players is as good, and he thinks the rules are allowing bad habits in the game.

Former NFL center and ESPN analyst Jeff Saturday joined ESPN First Take and discussed Brady's comments with the panel. Saturday agrees with Brady and thinks that the league is too concerned with player safety, resulting in a lack of talent displayed on the field.

Saturday said:

"100%. I mean, he's preaching when you talk about the way that our game has been. And listen, I am all for player health and safety and making sure. But we have gotten to a ridiculous degree on making sure that guys are protected in a certain way. And what it's doing is slowing down the game and it's making it become a game of finesse instead of physicality. And at some point, we as as football players understand that physicality is what trumps in our game and you have to have it. But right now, everything is everything is a penalty."

He continued:

"Everything. I mean, you think about last year with Chris Jones, if you watched last night when Chris Jones was tackling hurt, he fell like intentionally on the side. Right? Right. He's like, yeah, it has completely changed the game and I'm all for it. But if there was a moment where he couldn't do that and he does fall, is that a penalty? Are we extending drives because of all those things?"

Tom Brady thinks there's a lot of 'mediocrity' in the NFL today

Tom Brady during Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Los Angeles Rams

Earlier this week, appearing on the Stephen A. Smith Show, Tom Brady told Smith that he thinks the NFL is very mediocre.

Tom Brady thinks the league is ruining the game by protecting offensive players too much, which is slowing down the quality of play on the field.

"I think there's a lot of mediocrity in today's NFL. I don't see the excellence that I saw in the past Offensive players need to protect themselves. It's not up to a defensive player to protect an offensive player. A defensive player needs to protect himself."

"I didn't throw the ball to certain areas because I was afraid players were gonna get knocked out. That's the reality. I didn't throw it to the middle when I played Ray Lewis because he'd knock them out of the game and I couldn't afford to lose a good player."

As technology has advanced with more research information, the NFL is watering down the rules to protect players.

It may make the game less exciting, but they're trying to focus more on player safety.

If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Jeff Saturday, Tom Brady, First Take, and H/T Sportskeeda