Tom Brady: Who can supplant him as the best ever?

Which current quarterback could pass Tom Brady to become the best ever?

In the immediate aftermath of the New England Patriots Super Bowl victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, one question immediately rose to the surface inside this cranium. Was it “What was Pete Carroll thinking?” As you get to know me, you’ll learn that’s far too predictable for my taste. How about “Who’s the Super Bowl favorite next season?” Valiant effort, but again, no.

To me, the immediate puzzle was determining whether Tom Brady is now the G.O.A.T. – the greatest of all time at the quarterback position in the NFL. A quick social media poll and survey of those at the Super Bowl party I attended indicated that the consensus is “yes.”

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Is it simply because we’re prisoners of the moment? Perhaps due to the fact we remember more of what’s taken place most recently? And if Brady really is the best ever as of today, can any current signal callers catch him before they call it a career?

To me, the “best ever” nominees list contains Brady, Marino, Montana, and Elway. One by one, let’s vet this briefly/

Marino – I’m not one of those who believes “It don’t mean a thing if you don’t got that ring.” Charles Barkley and Karl Malone never won NBA titles, and I implore to find me two more dominant power forwards not named Tim Duncan. Are you going to tell me Super Bowl winning Trent Dilfer is better than Marino? If so, our time here is done. Marino’s arm is the best that ever was and will be. That alone gets him on this exclusive list. But he’s not the G.O.A.T.

John Elway – Even with Brady’s Sunday splendor, Elway is the oldest quarterback to win the Super Bowl of all time, at 38 years of age. I grew up idolizing him, but this is an objective piece. Take a peek at Elway’s first three years in the league – they ain’t pretty. 47 touchdowns, 52 interceptions, and a sub 50% completion mark in year one. Sorry, idol.

Joe Montana – Tom Brady’s boyhood role model, and with Brady and Terry Bradshaw, the only quarterbacks in NFL history with four Super Bowls – a thumb piece short of a full hand. Joe’s 4-0 Super Bowl record, and other worldly 127.8 rating in the penultimate game is tough to match….

Feb 2, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (left) and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pose with the Pete Rozelle trophy during the Super Bowl XLIX-Winning Head Coach and MVP Press Conference at Media Center-Press Conference Room B. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

Tom Brady – ….but I’m still going with Tom. Montana’s supporting cast reads as a “Who’s who” list, while Brady’s is “Who’s that?” And to do it at age 37, after the heartbreaks against the Giants, gives him the nod.

All of this presents today’s crop of NFL front men an incredible opportunity – not only has the bar been set, but it’s been done right in front of us – and more importantly, for all the quarterbacks Brady competes with on a weekly basis to see. I hereby challenge all of those who wish to accept the most impossible task of unseating Tom Brady to step forward, with odds and percentages:

Aaron Rodgers – as great as he is, Rodgers might actually be underrated historically. He’s seldom mentioned with the all-time greats, and when you look at his skill set, you’re left wondering “What can’t he do?” His QB rating has been north of 100 every year since his first, he has the lowest INT% in NFL history, which really saying something when you consider the icon he replaced in Green Bay leads the record books in most interceptions. The issue is, because he sat behind Favre for three years, he’s 31 – with just one ring. At this point in Brady’s career, Tom had three. For now, Rodgers is in Peyton’s class. More on that below.

Odds of becoming #1 – 8:1 (11%)

Russell Wilson – many will laugh at this inclusion, and you’d be wrong to do so. It baffles the mind to consider some still view the rank the likes of Tony Romo higher because of a perceived lack of some tangible quality on DangerRuss’ part. That’s preposterous. Yes, the final pass in this Super Bowl wasn’t his best. But Wilson can do it all, from making all the throws, to the most important facet of the position – being a galvanizing leader on that team. Seattle will win more Super Bowls, and will do so because of Russell Wilson. They’re already the betting favorite to win #2 next season, at 5:1.

Odds of becoming #1 – 3:1 (25%)

Manning Bros., Inc. – fascinating observation: The Manning brothers have reputations that border on the polar opposite. As much as he may loathe this, Peyton is viewed as “The best regular season quarterback in NFL history.” Eli is tabbed “One of the best postseason performers,” whose regular season numbers and rating are often lacking. I think the days of hoisting the Lombardi are over for both. Look, Denver fans – to today’s Peyton, “zip” is what he does to his trousers; the word no longer applies to this passes. The 97 mph fastball with movement has become an 83 mph flat meatball across the plate. At 39 years old, that’s not changing. Peyton finishes with one Super Bowl, in large part because no quarterback has ever won it over the age of 38 (his boss, John Elway). Eli’s done as world’s best because he’s 34 and his team is light years away. I don’t see another run in the Giants in his remaining window under center.

Sep 15, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) shakes hands with New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) after a game at MetLife Stadium. The Broncos defeated the Giants 41-23. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Odds of becoming #1 – Peyton – 15:1 (6%) Eli – 50:1 (2%)

Drew Brees – oh, to have the start of the milenium back. From 2001 to 2005, Brees toiled in San Diego. Admittedly, he wasn’t the quarterback he is today then, but the Chargers inexplicably always kept an eye out for greener pastures. Compared to Brees, Philip Rivers has been a small patch of grass that requires watering. In New Orleans, Brees had to spend the first half of his tenure helping to change the culture of a notoriously losing franchise – one of the toughest feats in sports or life. It’s a credit to Drew he managed that. However, there remains one unbeatable equation in sports – father time, and at 36 years of age, it may be catching up to him.

Odds of becoming #1 – 99:1 (1%)

Ben Roethlisberger – unlike others on this list, Ben has the benefit of having no wasted career years. He started at Pittsburgh from day one, has seemingly been there forever (eleven years), and is just 32 years old – already with two Lombardi’s in his trophy case. Yet despite his clutch performance over the years, there’s a feeling in the NFL community that Big Ben is a notch below the elite – a “very good,” not great signal caller. This fuels him. I feel he’s got at least one more Super Bowl run in him, but does he have two? Three? The answer there is also the answer to his place in history.

Odds of becoming #1 – 19:1 (5%)

It appears Tom Brady’s place at the altar of NFL quarterbacks is somewhat secure, at least for now. To come back and win a fourth title after a career span of ten years without is a testament to the drive and resiliency behind Tom’s efforts. I implore, you, however, not to look past the new young gun out of the Pacific Northwest. I disagree with Russell Wilson’s tweet that one play won’t define him. That one bad play will be the driving force behind multiple additional Super Bowl trophies for the Seahawks, and Wilson will lead that charge. He is the most likely challenger to Brady’s throne.

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