New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick declared Tom Brady to be the “greatest quarterback of all time” on Thursday.
Let there be no doubt: Bill Belichick believes his star quarterback has already established himself as the GOAT.
Invited as a guest speaker at the annual Salesforce World Tour conference in Boston, Belichick heaped praise on his 38-year-old quarterback. Asked about Brady, Belichick didn’t hesitate in labeling him the “greatest of all time.”
Ever since the Patriots captured their fourth Lombardi Trophy with a dramatic victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX – and perhaps even long before that – the debate has swirled over Brady’s exact spot in the pecking order of the NFL‘s most accomplished signal-callers.
He is tied with Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw for the most Super Bowl rings ever among quarterbacks and owns almost every postseason record imaginable, yet scandals like Deflategate and Spygate have cast a shadow over some of his accomplishments.
Belichick was also asked how he has managed to lead the team to such a sustained run of success and excellence since taking over in 2000. Over that 16-year timespan, the Patriots have only missed the playoffs three times. Belichick responded by saying, winning consistently comes down to having “great players.”
“If you like football, and you like to come in and work on football, then the New England Patriots is a great place to be. If you don’t, if it’s a job, if you’d rather be doing something else, honestly you’d be better off with another team.”
“I think it starts there — a love of the game, the passion for the game, a passion to be part of a team, be part of a group, be part of a commitment to perform at a high level, and be unselfish and to give up some of your own personal goals and desires for the good of the team for the opportunity to be part of something special in a team environment. I think those are the things that help us.”
Brady will turn 39 before the 2016 NFL season begins. It will be his 17th year playing under Bill Belichick.
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