Former Lions Players Torch Tom Brady’s Practice Squad Hot Take
Look, Tom Brady knows football. Seven rings, two decades of dominance, all of that. But apparently even the GOAT can miss the mark when talking about the guys who grind it out at the bottom of the roster.
Brady recently went on UFC’s “Champion Mindset” podcast and dropped what can only be described as a spectacularly tone-deaf take about practice squad players. His argument? Most of them don’t even want to make it to the actual roster. They’re content collecting a paycheck and telling their buddies they’re in the NFL without dealing with real pressure.
“What I realized was a lot of guys on those practice squads, they don’t want to be elevated to the roster,” Brady said. “They’re very happy living this life where they could tell their family and friends, which I have no problem with that. But the reality is a lot of guys don’t want the pressure of dealing at the top.”
Dan Skipper was having exactly none of it. The current Lions assistant coach, who spent nine seasons bouncing on and off practice squads before finding his groove, fired back on Twitter with all the subtlety of an Aidan Hutchinson strip sack.
“This is an absolute bullshit take on all accounts.”
The Response From Allen Park
Skipper wasn’t alone. Former Lions fullback Jason Cabinda came in hot with a response that probably made Brady’s social media manager wince.
“I think I can speak for most if not ALL P-Squad players when I say that making it onto the active roster is your literal daily motivation in every meeting practice and rep day after day,” Cabinda wrote. He pointed out the stark differences in treatment between practice squad guys and roster players, like having to watch games from the suite instead of the sideline.
Then Kerry Hyder, who turned his practice squad stint into a nine-year career, dropped the hammer: “That’s just simply not true. As a former practice squad player for my first two season. It’s literally all you think about 24/7. How can I get on the roster. Then one mistake once your roster could end your career. That’s pressure.”
When the GOAT Misses the Point
Here’s the thing about Brady’s take. Sure, there might be some practice squad guys who are comfortable with the arrangement. But painting most of them as content with mediocrity? That’s the kind of privileged perspective you get from someone who never had to wonder if next week’s paycheck was coming.
Skipper got cut well over a dozen times in his career. He knows what it means to fight for every opportunity, every rep, every chance to prove you belong. When he found his footing with the Lions, it wasn’t because he was satisfied being a practice squad lifer.
Brady spent his career throwing to first-round receivers and handing off to Pro Bowl running backs. That’s not a knock on his greatness, but it does explain why he might not understand the hunger that drives guys like Skipper, Cabinda, and Hyder.
These former Lions called out Brady’s take because they lived it. They know what it means to scratch and claw for every opportunity in this league. And they damn sure weren’t doing it just to have something to tell the neighbors.
So what do you think, Lions fans? Is Brady just out of touch, or do some practice squad players really lack that killer instinct? Drop your take below.
