Lawrence Taylor Explains Why He Wouldn’t Make It In Modern NFL

Despite being one of the greatest NFL players ever, Lawrence Taylor does not believe he could have competed in the current league. On the quarterback’s podcast “Let’s Go!”, the Hall of Famer discussed the current status of the NFL and how he believes he would fit in with Tom Brady.

Lawrence Taylor Explains Why He Wouldn’t Make It In Modern NFL

Taylor, a two-time Super Bowl champion, three-time defensive player of the year, 10-time Pro Bowler, and the NFL sacks leader in 1986, played for the New York Giants from 1981 to 1993. But with the existing regulations, he doubts he could go through the full game if he were to play in 2023.

“I don’t think I could finish a game nowadays,” Taylor said on the latest episode of Tom Brady’s Let’s Go! podcast on SiriusXM.

Brady added his usual critique of the current regulations, bringing up the flag that was raised for a dubious sideline hit on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes on Sunday night.

“The quarterbacks need to learn how to throw the ball away,” Brady said. “They need to learn how to read defences so that they can get the ball out of their hands. I always felt like my best protection was getting rid of the ball. Even in my day, it would’ve been hard for you to sack me just because I knew how great you were and how fast I needed to throw the ball that day.”

“The game has changed a little bit, you know?” Taylor said. “Just a couple weeks ago I saw a running back [D’Andre Swift] get fined for trucking. What the hell is trucking? He got fined for running over the [defensive back]. I don’t understand that. The game has changed a little bit. I like the era that I played in because if I was playing nowadays, I probably wouldn’t last the game.”

Taylor acknowledged that given the existing regulations’ efforts to increase players’ safety and well-being, it is hard to be upset about them.

“The simple truth is that no one can have it both ways. Fans and players can’t advocate for player safety in one breath and then, in the other, complain that football has gotten soft.”

Brady has expressed in the past that he thinks the regulations are partially to blame for the games’ declining quality.

“I don’t think the development of the young players is as good as it was. The rules have allowed a lot of bad habits to get into the actual performance of the game. I just think the product, in my opinion, is less than what it’s been,” Brady said last month.

Taylor is neither the first or the last of his peers to bemoan the differences between the NFL today and a decade or two ago. Brady’s made it into a hobby.

Naturally, Taylor would have adjusted to the times if he had been playing for the Giants now rather than in the 1980s and early 1990s. He acknowledged that if he hadn’t written so many checks to the league office, he would have essentially had no other choice.

Did Lawrence Taylor ever win a ring?

Throughout his career, Lawrence Taylor won two titles.

What was Lawrence Taylor known for?

Taylor was a fast and strong attacking linebacker who could make plays anywhere on the field. Of his generation, he was the most disruptive defensive player. He made 10 Pro Bowl appearances (1981–90 seasons) and was selected an All-Pro six times (1981–87) throughout his 13-year career.

What ended Lawrence Taylor’s career?

A Legend’s Career Ended – In November of 1985, quarterback Joe Theismann of the Washington Redskins was violently sacked by Lawrence Taylor, shattering his leg and putting an end to his career. It would rank among the most horrific injuries in sports history.

 

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