Following the three-game suspension of Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair for his hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, former NFL star Tom Brady offered his perspective on the controversial play. Speaking on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," Brady expressed mixed feelings, acknowledging the need for player safety while also highlighting the challenges faced by defensive players in today's NFL.

Recalling a similar incident from his own career, Brady described being hit hard while sliding in a 2001 game against the Buffalo Bills. This experience, he explained, taught him the importance of getting the ball out quickly and sliding effectively to avoid contact. While acknowledging the NFL's efforts to protect players, Brady emphasized the inherent physicality of the game and the need for defensive players to be aggressive.

Brady questioned whether the increasing trend of mobile quarterbacks, like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, places an unfair burden on defenders. He suggested that quarterbacks who choose to run expose themselves to greater risk and that defensive players shouldn't be solely responsible for preventing injuries in such situations.

He also disagreed with the "dirty player" label applied to Al-Shaair, suggesting that penalties for late slides by quarterbacks might be a more balanced approach to preventing these types of hits. Brady emphasized the split-second decisions required in the NFL, noting that sometimes those decisions lead to unfortunate outcomes, as seen in the Al-Shaair-Lawrence incident.