We can appreciate that Speed is fast without lying to the man.
There’s making an appearance on a famous YouTuber’s channel, then there’s glazing them beyond the point of anything acceptable. Tom Brady did the latter this week when he and Danny Amendola went on IShowSpeed’s channel to put him through an NFL workout, before bolding declaring that he could make it in the NFL.
It’s part of a series called “Speed Goes Pro,” in which he’s taking on sport-specific drills before asking experts whether or not he could make it. I’d say this counts as a spoiler alert, but let’s be real: Everyone on this series is going to say that Speed could make it, otherwise it wrecks the premise of this self-promotion.
“Yeah, definitely. Tough, speed is there — jumping, attitude, worth ethic. All of it’s there, and all of it counts.”
This was Brady’s response at the end when asked if Speed could be an NFL player, and it’s the most epic lie imaginable. While we can certainly be impressed that a YouTuber has anything close to pro football athleticism, the idea that he could somehow “make it” might be the dumbest assertion of the year.
It’s less about throwing shade at Speed, and more appreciating how NFL athletes are beyond the comprehension of most people. Let’s break down why Brady is ridiculous for making this claim:
- Height and weight: Speed is 5-8, and has said himself that his weight is 145 pounds. The height is less of a concern than the weight here. That is tiny by NFL standards. Xavier Worthy out-weighs Speed by 20 pounds, and even his weight is questionable when it comes to his durability. If Speed got tackled once in the NFL without the experience of being hit, then it’s over.
- Speed: The most bragged-about element when it comes to IShowSpeed isn’t really impressive at all. Speed ran three 40s on camera and went 4.62, 4.75, then topped out at 4.49. That 4.49 would have been tied 26th among receivers at the 2025 combine, and notably slower than Isaac TeSlaa of the Lions, who ran a 4.43 while being 6-4, 214 pounds.
- Agility: Nope. Speed ran a 7.2 in the three-cone drill, which would have put him last among all receivers at the combine. Tyler Batty of BYU ran a 7.21 — and he was a 6-6, 271 pound EDGE rusher. If you agility is on par with a defensive lineman who is over 100 pounds heavier than you, well, you’re not going to be a receiver.
- Vertical: It’s very neat that Speed hit a 40 inch vertical, and they made a big deal out of it in the video. Of course, that conveniently ignored that vertical is largely immaterial when you’re 5-8. The catch radius is just too small for it to even matter. The only potential role would be as a gadget YAC receiver catching out of the backfield, in which case everything above renders that impossible.
Finally, they make a big deal out of Speed catching a touchdown from Tom Brady. Let’s just not overlook that 39-year-old Danny Amendola, a retired receiver was playing defensive back against him.
The point here isn’t to dunk on Speed for not being able to make it in the NFL, it’s noting how ridiculous it is to suggest anyone could make it without years of football training — and how this is even more ludicrous when Tom Brady, an NFL owner and analyst is suggesting it.
Category: General Sports
