NFL exec sums up Tom Brady, Teddy Bridgewater situations: 'Overreaction Sunday'

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NFL quarterbacks Tom Brady and Teddy Bridgewater were in the spotlight Sunday as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Atlanta Falcons and the Miami Dolphins fell to the New York Jets.

Brady benefited from a controversial roughing the passer call at the worst moment for the Falcons which helped secure the Bucs' win. Bridgewater was knocked out of the game after being diagnosed with a head injury. He cleared the concussion protocols but was kept from continuing on in the game due to the league’s modified rules which were revised Saturday after the outrage over the Tua Tagovailoa injury.

An unnamed NFL executive reacted to the Brady call and the Bridgewater decision in an interview with NFL journalist Peter King for his "Football Morning in America" column.

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Miami Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, #5, leaves the field after taking a hit from the New York Jets during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

"What’s that thing you guys in the media do every week after the games?" the executive told King. "Overreaction Monday? As a league, I think today was Overreaction Sunday."

According to NFL.com, Bridgewater passed the concussion tests but because of information from the ATC spotter and that he appeared to be suffering from ataxia, he was held out, and Thompson was put into the game. Ataxia was added to the "no-go" list Saturday when the NFL and NFLPA revised the concussion protocol after Tagovailoa’s scary injury in Week 4 just days after he suffered a back injury and wobbled to the ground.

Officials described ataxia as an "abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue." The term replaced "gross motor instability" and has been added to the list of symptoms that would prohibit a player from returning to the game.

DOLPHINS' TEDDY BRIDGEWATER HELD OUT OF GAME VS JETS UNDER REVISED CONCUSSION PROTOCOL: REPORT

Grady Jarrett, #97 of the Atlanta Falcons, sacks Tom Brady, #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, during the fourth quarter of the game at Raymond James Stadium on Oct. 9, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

The other symptoms include confusion, amnesia and loss of consciousness.

"Are we being overly sensitive because of the Tua Tagovailoa situation?" former NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino asked King.

Meanwhile, NFL referee Jerome Boger explained the penalty on Brady.

"What I had was the defender grabbed the quarterback while he was still in the pocket and unnecessarily throwing him to the ground," Boger told NFL pool reporter Greg Auman, of The Athletic. "That is what I was making my decision based upon."

Brady was asked about the play too.

"I don’t throw the flags," he said, via ESPN.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterback Tom Brady, #12, looks for an open receiver during the regular season game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 9, 2022 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.  (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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The NFL and its officials will have to deal with the balance of the rigor of tackle football and the protection of players who take hard hits. It will be a tale as old as time and players and fans are not going to be 100% happy about any of it.