Tom Brady, The Best QB Ever?
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Quarterbacks often put up fantastic numbers, but most often they are judged on
wins and championships. With that being said, is it possible we are watching the best
quarterback to ever play since the Super Bowl era began 42 years ago? While
Peyton Manning is always in the discussion as one of the best ever, I'm referring to
Tom Brady. Since the Super Bowl era began, it's often said that Joe Montana is the
best quarterback to ever play with other guys like John Elway, Dan Marino, Brett
Favre and Peyton Manning getting brought up in the discussion. I'm here to tell you
folks, it's a distinct possibility that Tom Brady is the best of the bunch. Let's begin
with Brett Favre. He's definitely had an amazing career, playing 17 years is a feat in
itself and he has some amazing statistics. He has started an NFL record 253 straight
games at quarterback, he's a tough guy and he loves the game. While being able to
stay healthy and start all those games in a row he has amassed NFL records for
most career regular season wins at 160, most career passing yards with over
61,000, most career touchdown passes, most career passes attempted and
completed, most career games with at least 3 TD passes and also a negative record
of most career interceptions with 288. He is 2nd all time in 4th quarter come backs
with 38, which shows he does have clutch play in his blood. Those numbers all add
up to an amazing career with great success. However, I can't say that Favre is the
best, a lot of those numbers are due to the longevity of his career and not
necessarily the talent he possesses. Naturally the more games you play in, the
better chance you have of accumulating numbers and statistics. He did win 3 MVP
awards, has made nine pro bowls and led his team to two Super Bowls, winning one.
The lack of having more rings and the number of interceptions thrown keep him from
being the best. Worthy of discussion, hall of famer for sure, but not the top guy.
Peyton Manning is also another warrior, known for his eagerness to play and play a
lot. Manning has started 160 consecutive games to start his career which is a
record. He's been to 8 pro bowls and is yet to turn 32. He has also won 2 MVP's and
holds several NFL records including most 4,000 passing yard seasons and most
4,000 yard passing seasons in a row. He has the most games in a row with 2 TD
passes thrown and 4 TD passes thrown, most games throwing 4 TD passes, most
seasons throwing at least 25 TD passes, most games with a perfect passer rating
and highest single season passer rating. He's been to one Super Bowl and he did
get the win. The problem with Peyton is he's always had an inability to win the big
game when he needed to. Yes, he did get the Colts the Super Bowl victory last
season, but he didn't play particularly well in that game or the post season. He's a
fantastic regular season quarterback with some amazing statistics, but he is also
helped out by a system that allows him to throw to all pro players 40 times a game. I
would never say Manning isn't one of the best ever, he's just not the best ever. The
good news for Manning is he's only about to be 32 and has a good 5 to 7 years of
playing left in him, he very well still could turn out to be the best of all time.
Dan Marino is often mentioned as the best ever and for very good reason. He
played 16 seasons and made the Hall of Fame, he held the all time record for most
career passing yards and most career TD passes until Brett Favre passed him. He
was able to make 8 pro bowls and win one MVP. He holds 22 NFL records, too many
for me to discuss in this article and he is tied for 4 more. He also led 37 fourth
quarter come backs, third all time. It is well known that Marino never really had all
pro receivers or running backs and led the Dolphins to wins mostly by himself. He
was only able to get them to one super bowl and they lost, unfortunately. That
reason, and that reason alone keep him off the top spot as the best all time.
Unfortunately, you have to win championships and he just didn't have the teams
around him to do it.
John Elway also had a brilliant career that ended in a Hall of Fame induction. He was
a 9 time pro bowler, won an MVP and holds dozens of NFL records, the most
important one being the most 4th quarter come backs of all time with 48. He was
clutch, he could throw the ball all over the field, but he also had the uncanny ability
to make plays with his feet when he needed to. He is part of one of the most famous
come backs of all time, "The Drive" against the Cleveland Browns in the 1986 AFC
Championship game. With just a shade over 5 minutes to play in the game, Elway
led his Broncos 98 yards to tie the game and send it to overtime where they won and
went on to the Super Bowl. In fact, Elway led the Broncos to 5 Super Bowls, winning
2, the last 2 seasons of his career. With the numbers he put up, his ability to win the
big games and the records he holds, he is clearly in the discussion as the top player
of all time.
Joe Montana is usually the guy that people say is the best ever. Montana made the
pro bowl 8 times and, won the MVP 2 times and won the super bowl MVP 3 times. He
actually does not hold a ton of NFL records but he did lead his 49ers to 4 super
bowl wins, and that's where people see him as the best. I must say, he deserves to
be discussed, but he's not the best. All the aforementioned guys have played or did
play for only one team in their career, Montana played for two because some better
came along behind him in San Francisco. And yes, wise guy, I know Brett Favre was
on Atlanta for one year, but he didn't play or make an impact there. Montana did
play for the Chiefs for a few years as the starting QB. He couldn't resurrect the
magic there and I honestly think his career was a bit overrated.
Lastly, that leaves us with the current king of the NFL, Tom Brady. Is he in fact better
than all the rest? Well, at the tender age of 30 he's won an MVP, he's made 4 pro
bowls so far, he's set NFL records including the biggest one in the league, 50 TD
passes in one season. Previously held by Peyton Manning and Dan Marino before
that and most importantly, he's won 3 Super Bowls already and he's about to win his
4th next weekend. If quarterbacks are judged on numbers and championships won,
this guy is it. Assuming he gets ring number 4 next week, at only 30 years old, who's
to say he won't get 5, 6, and 7 before it's over? I am saying, at least by the age of
30, he is the best we've ever seen. He does have several more years left to play and
his legacy can grow or it can tarnish, but at this point, I think Brady is going to turn
out to be the best quarterback of all time. Like him or lump him, he backs it up with is
play.
Wrapping this up, this is how I would rank the quarterbacks on this list:
1a: Brady
1b: Elway
2: Marino
3. Manning
4. Montana
5. Favre
Best Ever?
