During his weekly Monday interview on WEEI, New England Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady talked about a shift in the NFL toward the collegiate game. (h/t Devon Clements of Patriots Wire)

“I think now, in some ways, pro football is more glorified college football. Maybe the transition is a more similar game than what it used to be when I first started.

“I think football now, removing some of the physical elements of the game, it’s more of a space game, you see a lot of college plays more in the pro game than what I remember when I started. That’s kind of how things have went over the last bunch of years.”

Throughout the last several years, there has been a shift in the NFL that has seen many teams implementing systems and game plans more suitable for the incoming talent from the collegiate level. This adjustment is making the learning process easier for players to work through as they enter the professional ranks.

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This change has particularly helped some of the young quarterbacks in the league find success early on in their careers with concepts utilized from their collegiate days. Brady is set to face off against a young quarterback that has benefitted somewhat from that game-plan style in Kansas City Chiefs signal-caller Patrick Mahomes.

Granted, Mahomes did have a year under his belt sitting behind Alex Smith to learn the playbook and get guidance from a veteran quarterback, but Andy Reid is maximizing his talent with a system that puts him in position to succeed. This isn't a verbal shot by any means from Brady, but more of a realization of where the league is heading in order to help smooth the transition for incoming talent.

This trend will likely continue moving forward, as it could be more of the blueprint of easing rookie quarterbacks into the NFL in order to find success while they're on rookie contracts.