It's not up for debate or even a polarizing topic. From 2004-2010 the NFL integrated a variation of rule changes from tightening down on defensive holding (Manning rules), banning hits below the QBs knees (Brady rule), banning horse collar tackles, banning contact to the head of a defenseless receiver, etc - and that's not even getting into the weeds with stuff like 2001 when they actually started enforcing roughing the passer.
It comes off as an insult because of the word soft like the game isn't still brutal and dudes aren't destroying their bodies out there, which they clearly are - but by the letter of the law it is soft compared to when there was significantly less emphasis on protecting players.