The Week 1 storylines of the NFL already are filled with quarterback drama, but few drew as much attention on Thursday as Tom Brady’s comment on JJ McCarthy and Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades. Appearing on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, the seven-time Super Bowl winner took a moment to defend Minnesota quarterback JJ McCarthy and offer an unusual, candid look at how public grading systems affect young quarterbacks.

Brady laid out his viewpoint honestly: “You got PFF grading you every week….and now you go as a first-year quarterback, you barely know s–t, and now everyone’s telling you s–k and it takes a while to regain your confidence. You lose your whole fan base and it’s really unfortunate, but that’s very much the state of the league.” Brady pointed out a reality that is rarely talked about — public judgments, especially by legendary analytics sites, can percolate throughout locker rooms, the press, and fanbases.

So, he continued, “if he’s gonna hit, he’s gonna go down … that was kind of [BS], but what I really understood the mental, emotional part. I can bring a consistent winning attitude to the game every day….Mentally I could absorb information….I could process those things and then take them to the field and play with anticipation. So what I lacked for maybe in a bit of physical development, I far exceeded a lot of other people in mental, emotional development, and that’s a hard thing to evaluate. But I’d also say there’s not many people who even know what to do, it’s not like their CEO.” 

We all know PFF’s model has been discussed in NFL circles for decades. It gives football analysis unparalleled depth by grading each play, but it’s also based on a human grader, so it’s inherently subjective. That would make its rankings fluctuate from standard stats or mainstream opinion. Brady himself was aware of this paradox: although he was PFF’s top-graded QB in 2017 (94.9 overall grade) and 2021 (92.0), his “turnover-worthy throw” percentages or mid-season lows in other years still sparked debate, even with winning records. Brady is not protesting against analytics as a whole; he is highlighting the way real-time feedback loops affect the mental health of rookies and young players. So, the important thing in Brady’s remarks is his own role.

He’s not only the most-decorated NFL quarterback of all time. He’s one of the highest-graded QBs of the PFF’s grading era for six seasons. If a player with such a resume discusses the psychological side of grading, it’s heard by coaches, fans, and media. What he has to say rings true to the bigger question: is public grading an education tool, an individual benchmark, or an entertainment product?

Here’s how the top five quarterbacks are trending in Week 2 rankings. Josh Allen leads the group as QB-1. Lamar Jackson ranks second at QB-2. Jalen Hurts ranks third at QB-3. Jayden Daniels ranks fourth at QB-4. At the bottom of the top five is Joe Burrow. After this, Brady quickly came in to defend the young quarterback.

Tom Brady loves JJ McCarthy for one major reason!

Tom Brady defended JJ McCarthy, who, in his Week 1 game, showed glimpses of toughness. Cowherd compared McCarthy to Baker Mayfield, saying he “wears his emotions on his sleeve.” Brady stated with admiration, “I absolutely love it when I see that type of emotion. I think it brings you to a kind of higher level of focus. [He] stands in there, takes a hit, and makes a great throw. And that game is all about emotional being at kind of a feverish pitch, but also controlled. And I could get there emotionally in a way that probably didn’t look like it on my face. I think JJ just expresses that a little bit more.” By being so supportive of McCarthy’s enthusiasm, Brady turned what would be considered a weakness in many others into a strength as a leader.

McCarthy’s Week 1 play showed why Brady would call him out by name. The player recorded 13-for-20 for 143 yards and two touchdowns, with 25 rushing yards and a score on the ground. But he also had a third-quarter 74-yard interception that put the Bears ahead 17–6 to start the fourth quarter. Instead of crumbling, he led 21 fourth-quarter points to deliver a Minnesota victory. That built-in resilience factor is what matters most for Brady.

Next, Minnesota has a matchup against an Atlanta defense that locked down Baker Mayfield and Tampa Bay for most of their opener before falling 23–20. That game will be another test for McCarthy’s calm and production. Brady’s words are both a warning and an inspiration: publicity grades and opinions can inflate mistakes, but calm and leadership can overcome them. For McCarthy, the endorsement by the greatest quarterback in the NFL history serves as a reminder that passion and resilience can overcome despite initial backlash.