Tom Brady will be featured on the cover of the first-ever “Madden NFL G.O.A.T Edition,” but it seems the New England Patriots quarterback doesn’t necessary agree with the title EA Sports (and many, many others)Â has bestowed upon him.
Brady was asked by ESPN.com’s Ian O’Connor, as part of a larger feature, if he agrees he’s the greatest NFL quarterback of all time.
“I don’t agree with that, and I’ll tell you why,” Brady said. “I know myself as a player. I’m really a product of what I’ve been around, who I was coached by, what I played against, in the era I played in. I really believe if a lot of people were in my shoes they could accomplish the same kinds of things. So I’ve been very fortunate. … I don’t ever want to be the weak link. …
“I was the backup quarterback on an 0-8 team in my freshman year of high school. I got to Michigan, I was seventh (string), and I had a hard time getting to be No. 2, and when I finally got to No. 1 there was someone else (Drew Henson) they wanted to be No. 1. I got to be a sixth-round pick behind a great player, Drew Bledsoe, and then I got an opportunity, and I’m still trying to take advantage of it. Part of who I am now is very much who I was, and that was cultivated growing up.”
Who expected Brady to add credence to the “system quarterback” talk his critics have been spouting for 16 years?
Brady gave a non-answer when asked who he believes is the greatest NFL player of all time.
“I don’t remember a lot of those guys like Jim Brown playing,” Brady said. “I remember Lawrence Taylor, obviously; he terrorized the 49ers. … I know that I haven’t played against a lot of those guys, but I’ve also played against a lot of guys that when I think of Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison and Dwight Freeney and Jason Taylor and Ray Lewis and Ed Reed and Darrelle Revis — if those guys aren’t the best, then whoever is better than them is only better by percentage points. It’s not a big difference.
“So, like Deion Sanders, for example. I remember watching him play, how spectacular he was. But I can’t imagine someone that much better than Revis. If there were, you couldn’t complete a ball against Darrelle. So completing a ball against Deion is not much different than completing a ball against Darrelle.”
Brady has won five Super Bowl titles and said he wants to play into his mid-40s. So, if you don’t already believe Brady is the GOAT, there’s a good chance he’ll prove you wrong before he retires.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
