Tom Brady Reflects on Josh Allen Hit, 'Risk-Reward' of Quarterbacks Running

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady believes there is a risk-reward scenario involved in quarterbacks's decisions to run during a game.

During his weekly interview on sports radio WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show," Brady reflected on the helmet-to-helmet hit that knocked Bills quarterback Josh Allen out of Sunday's game and put him in the concussion protocol. While Brady expressed empathy toward the young quarterback, he added that Allen took a risk by running and paid the price as a result.

"A lot of quarterbacks who do run, they're trying to make yards and it's great. At the same time, you're susceptible to big hits," Brady said, per ESPN. "Whether it's flagged or not, or whether it's a penalty, a lot of the rules have changed over the years, but from a quarterback's standpoint I feel like it's always best to try to be available to the team, and it's trying to take risk/reward and so forth. Nobody likes to see anybody get hurt out there. From my own experience, I try to do the best I can to avoid any big shots like that."

The injury occurred on a seven-yard scramble from Allen with the Bills trailing 16–10. As Allen was being tackled by safety Duron Harmon, Jonathan Jones launched into Allen's head with his helmet. Jones was flagged for unnecessary roughness but remained in the game.

Allen stayed on the ground briefly before walking off the field under his own power. Bills coach Sean McDermott told reporters after the game that Allen was in the concussion protocol, adding that the injury was "disappointing because there's no room for that kind of play in the NFL."

Bills safety Jordan Poyer also sounded off on the hit, questioning if the consequences of the hit would have been the same had it been Brady who was injured.

"I think that you’d probably be thrown out of the football game," Poyer said, per Buffalo News. "I’m just going to leave it at that. It is what it is. The refs saw a bang-bang play. … That type of hit happens on 12, you probably get thrown out of the game."

Brady responded to Poyer's comment on Monday.

"You never like to see anyone get hurt out there," he said, according to ESPN. "Football is a contact sport. It's part of football."

Brady also recalled how he became the Patriots' starter in 2001 when Drew Bledsoe was injured on a big hit, sharing a message coach Bill Belichick once told him after getting drilled on a run against the Bills years ago.

"I was scrambling up the right side, and tried to hold on to the ball, and tried to slide late. The guy hit me and my helmet flew about 10 yards away. It kind of riled up their whole sideline," Brady said. "I remember the next day, Coach Belichick said to me, I'll never forget this, he said, 'Hey Brady, if you want to have a career in this league, when you're running like that, you either throw the ball away or slide!' I've kind of taken to that."

Buffalo next faces the Titans on Oct. 6, while New England will next take on the Redskins the same day.