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Tags: tom brady | work ethics | blame game

Tom Brady on Today's Work Ethic: Americans Play Blame Game

tom brady laughs on sideline
Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on during a preseason game against the Tennessee Titans at Raymond James Stadium on Aug. 21, 2021, in Tampa, Florida. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

By    |   Monday, 23 August 2021 12:37 PM EDT

NFL quarterback Tom Brady is sharing his thoughts on the country's rising ethos. 

At issue, Brady told NFL writer Peter King for his latest edition of "Football Morning in America," is that many Americans are quick to play the blame game rather than put in the hard work to achieve their goals. 

"Life is about always changing and adapting to different things," he explained. "Today, the world wants to blame, and shame, and guilt, and fear everything all the time. We would never teach our kids that, you know? We would never say, 'This is how you’re gonna get through life the best — you’re gonna blame everyone when things don’t go right.' Or, 'I always get it my way but you should never get it your way.' It’s not how to live a joyful life."

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers superstar then recalled words by offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich that resonated with him.

"It’s a very simple game that’s so hard to execute," Leftwich said, according to Brady. "It’s a totally imperfect game that you’re trying to do as perfectly as possible. Every day I come out trying to do it. I’m hoping this is my best year."

Commenting on the state of football, Brady added that it was "the ultimate blame game." 

"General managers, head coaches, players, quarterbacks, receivers, defense, offense. It’s so easy to blame someone else. It’s so hard to say, 'I didn’t get the job done and we collectively didn’t get the job done,'" he said. "That’s the best part about team sports. I picked a team where everybody’s like, 'Hey, we gotta get better.' It’s not, 'I got all the answers. You guys just all screwed it up except me.' Exact opposite way to play the game. You know? You gotta play it together."

Brady's comments come shortly after the 44-year-old discussed his retirement — something that has been a hot topic of late —  during an episode of SiriusXM Town Hall, hosted by Jim Gray, in July.

"I play because I love the game. I play because I love to compete," Brady said. "We shouldn't stop our life, even though we love something because it's just, someone puts an arbitrary timeline on that."

He added, "And I felt for a long time, I could play until I was 45 years old. I think I committed to say, 'Hey, I'm going to play till I'm 45.' And this year I'll be 44, which naturally takes me to the next year. I've got a two-year contract. We'll see what happens beyond that."

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Zoe Papadakis

Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.

© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


TheWire
NFL quarterback Tom Brady is sharing his thoughts on the country's rising ethos. At issue, Brady told NFL writer Peter King for his latest edition of "Football Morning in America," is that many Americans are quick to...
tom brady, work ethics, blame game
443
2021-37-23
Monday, 23 August 2021 12:37 PM
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