Tom Brady Doesn't Hold Back Thoughts On Refs 'Protecting' Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes received a few favorable calls from the refs during last Saturday's playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans. It caused a huge debate about whether or not he receives special treatment from the referees.  

On this Wednesday's edition of "The Herd," seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady was asked about the NFL protecting its quarterbacks. Although he benefitted from plenty of calls during his career, he believes the league has gone too far with its quarterback-friendly rules.

"There's an aspect I don't like about some of these defensive rules," Brady told Cowherd. "... The reality for me is offensive players need to protect themselves. If they're running full speed and the defenders are coming up - the only way for defenders to create a turnover is by using force. They're trying to create turnovers, they're trying to disrupt the pass, they're trying to dislodge the football.

"When quarterbacks are running out of the pocket, they should lose their protection. We're trying to protect the quarterbacks, but coaches are calling more quarterback runs than ever in the history of the game. So, who is protecting the quarterback? We're trying to make the referees do it?" 

Brady then dropped the hammer on Mahomes, suggesting that late slides are a "disservice" to the game. 

"If you're running with the football, you should protect yourself. If you don't want to get hit, you can go down, you can run out of bounds. But you can have the defensive player come in at half speed, and then you run over the defensive player because he's worried about a penalty. It's a disservice to the game. It's something I would hope people really address."