Given Tom Brady’s extensive resume, he is widely regarded as the greatest quarterback in NFL history.
It’s a proven position that’s often embraced in most circles, whether by former players, executives, fans or the media.
Well, in most At least the circle.
In a recent interview with Men’s Health, Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana — widely considered the greatest quarterback in league history before Brady’s ascension — listed another signal-caller as For the best quarterback in football history.
No, Montana didn’t nominate himself, or other basketball legends like Peyton Manning or John Elway.
For Montana, his choice was Dan Marino.
“Having Marino come into today’s game, he was able to release free throws … and his receivers, gosh, weren’t big,” Montana said. “Now these guys are 6-foot-4,” 6-foot-5. I think (Marino) is probably one of the most unsung heroes in the game. People don’t talk about him enough and don’t realize the numbers he puts out during his release. “
It should be noted that Montana does differentiate between the “greatest” and “best” quarterbacks in league history, with the former’s title taking into account career accomplishments and the latter’s revolving around sheer talent and skill.
If that’s what Montana was thinking, it’s a little easier to understand what he was thinking.
While a player like Brady may not have the strongest arm and certainly doesn’t have the best wheels as a signal caller, his accomplishments on the field (seven Super Bowl titles, five Super Bowl MVPs, three MVPs, etc. ) all speak for themselves.
Despite Marino’s talent (nine Pro Bowl selections, three All-Pro selections, one MVP), he only appeared in one Super Bowl – a loss to Montana in Super Bowl XIX in January 1985 State and the 49ers.
Still, Montana often changes tune when it comes to awarding the “GOAT” title to a quarterback.
Brady grew up in the Bay Area idolizing Montana and the 49ers, and by winning his seventh Super Bowl with the Buccaneers in 2021, Montana declared Brady the best QB ever.
But the next year, Montana was hesitant to acknowledge Brady as the greatest, noting that it was difficult to compare different eras of football while referencing older legends like Otto Graham.
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