# Monday-morning quarterback

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/monday-morning-quarterback
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Someone who criticizes with hindsight.

## Examples

- Don't be a Monday-morning quarterback about my decision.
- It is easy to be a Monday-morning quarterback after the project fails, but you offered no help when we started.
- My brother loves to play the Monday-morning quarterback by telling me exactly how I should have handled that difficult conversation with our parents yesterday.
- While the board members were quick to act as Monday-morning quarterbacks regarding the failed merger, they had remained silent during the initial planning stages.

## Origin

Professional football games in the United States are most often played on Sundays, making Monday a likely day for fans to discuss and critique the performances of teams, in particular that of the quarterback who leads the offence on the field. However, there is evidence that the term actually derived in college football, which is usually played on Saturdays, in which case the use of Monday would also likely be on account of Sunday being the Christian sabbath and a traditional day of rest in the U.S., making it unlikely certain groups with a common interest in the game (such as co-workers) would meet before Monday.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.