Did Tom Brady end the debate about who is the greatest quarterback to ever live when he won his fifth championship and was named MVP of the Super Bowl for the fourth time? That still depends on who you ask.
Many people felt Brady surpassed Joe Montana two years ago when he tied the San Franciso 49ers legend with four Super Bowl wins and three MVPs. Most of those who still gave Montana the nod after that changed their minds when the New England Patriots came back from 25 points down to beat the Atlanta Falcons in the most incredible comeback in NFL history.
But how does Montana himself feel about Brady.
“He’s obviously having a tremendous career, but I think it’s hard to put anyone in that (greatest of all time) bucket,” Montana said during a Hallmark Channel special that will air Friday, via TMZ. “Even before he got five, you look back at some of the guys people don’t even know like Sammy Baugh and Otto Graham, I can’t remember which one but one of them won like seven or nine championships. It’s so far ahead of the time, it’s hard to compare then to now.”
When it was noted that many would call Montana the best of all time because of his 4-0 record in Super Bowls, the Hall of Famer showed some humility.
“I still can’t say that — even though people say it and I appreciate it — about myself because of just what I said,” Montana replied.
At that point, Montana’s wife Jennifer joked (we think?) that Joe has no problem calling himself the best at home.
The debate will never truly end, but Brady clearly has the best argument. Not only has he won more Super Bowls than any other quarterback, but he has done it in an era where the salary cap is supposed to create parity across the league. And to those who say Montana is better because he never lost in the Super Bowl, how can you punish Brady for winning more conference championships? If you want to know how Brady is viewed by his peers, just watch this video.
