Former New York Giants head coach Jim Fassel has seen enough from Andrew Luck in the former Stanford star’s first three NFL seasons to conclude that he will be better than Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Aaron Rodgers, or any other MVP quarterback you want to throw in there when all is said and done.
In Fassel’s opinion, Luck will one day be considered the greatest quarterback to ever live.
“He’ll go down as the greatest quarterback of all time,” Fassel said while co-hosting The Coaches Show on Tuesday, per Chris Wesseling of Around the League. “The numbers he has already put up as a young quarterback, far superior to anybody else that came in the league in their first four, five or six years the numbers he’s put up. If he keeps at that pace … Whoa!”
From a numbers standpoint, Fassel could be right. Luck has had the luxury of entering the NFL at a time when the league has never been more pass-happy. Thanks to more no-huddle offenses and stricter rules for defending receivers, fans hardly flinch when a quarterback throws for more than 4,000 yards in a season. Luck threw for 4,761 in 2014 to go along with a whopping 40 touchdown passes.
If he keeps it up and enjoys a long career, Luck could easily set records in terms of passing yards, touchdowns and completions. A lot of that has to do with how talented he is. Some of it has to do with the way the game has evolved.
But, as we all know, a quarterback’s success is ultimately measured in rings. Dan Marino was one of the greatest passers the NFL has ever seen, but he rarely gets the credit he deserves because he never won a championship.
Luck will have his chances, especially if his career continues to mimic this MVP quarterback’s. In addition to being a tremendous passer, Luck can also make plays with his legs. That could slow down later in his career, but it makes him almost impossible to defend at times.
The greatest of all time? It’s way too early to make that call. Well on his way? There’s no arguing that.
