Tom Brady already has cemented his place in NFL history. There’s a good chance no other player ever will reach the heights he has over the course of his unprecedented career.
Max Kellerman doesn’t disagree with this, but he believes there’s a possibility the future Hall of Famer could tarnish his legacy in the coming years, even if it’s ever so slightly.
Brady will have the opportunity to leave the Patriots this spring when he officially becomes a free agent for the first time in his lengthy league tenure. Should Brady join a new team that flounders with the veteran signal-caller under center, Kellerman believes it could alter how we stack up the six-time Super Bowl champion against the other greatest athletes of all time.
“Sure, not in any drastic way, but of course. All of it is little pieces of evidence one way or another that either adds to your legacy — there’s no punching a hole in Brady’s legacy but when compared to other all-time greats or those who are sure to come, either adds or diminishes that legacy versus someone else’s,” Kellerman said Tuesday on ESPN’s “First Take.” ” …We have these debates about who’s the GOAT, we’re establishing the hierarchy. Tom Brady’s No. 1 now, and I agree, he’s the GOAT. I said that before he won his fifth and sixth. But it’s not like there’s no competition. Joe Montana won four, was 4-0 in the Super Bowl, had 13 touchdowns to zero interceptions and when he went to Kansas City got them to the AFC Championship Game. If Tom Brady, for example, goes somewhere and they’re terrible, then you say, ‘Wait a minute, how much of that is (Bill) Belichick?’ Maybe more than we think.
“Now look, he’s at the age like when (Michael) Jordan went to the Wizards. It doesn’t really hurt him, right? I get it. It doesn’t speak to his prime. But because Brady’s peak is not why we put him No. 1 the way Jordan’s was, because it’s a lifetime achievement award type thing, then a bad ending could affect him differently than say someone like Jordan.”
While it’s anyone’s guess if Brady actually cares about how his legacy is perceived, one has to imagine he’ll extensively do his due diligence before making a decision in the coming months. Brady likely only is interested in playing for a legitimate Super Bowl contender at this stage in his career, and it would be tough to see him take his talents to a middling club, even if the franchise is able to offer a lofty payday or is conducive to Brady’s off-field interests.
So yeah, Brady probably doesn’t have to worry about much as far as his legacy is concerned.
