Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback in NFL history. At this point, that notion is virtually impossible to argue.
But if you're among the company including Rob Parker or Jerry Rice -- who still won't or are reluctant to acknowledge Brady as the "GOAT" -- perhaps Joe Montana will change your mind.
The San Francisco 49ers legend --effectively the only quarterback who comes even remotely close to threatening Brady's status as the greatest -- believes the seven-time Super Bowl champion is in a league of his own when it comes to ranking the best signal-callers of all time.
In fact, Montana seems to believe Brady was the creme da le creme even before he led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to championship glory.
"I think Tom's taken his place on the top up there a long time ago," Montana said Wednesday on ESPN's "First Take." "He's had a tremendous career, he's fun to watch. Everyone can always contest over that, but I think when you look at what Tom's been able to accomplish in his time he's played, I think it definitely puts him at the top of the list. There's a lot of great guys before me. You guy back -- Otto Graham, who won 10 or 11 championships. It's hard to compare them, but if you're looking at it, yeah, definitely Tom at that point."
Brady's legacy is firmly set at this stage in his career, and considering how his first year in Tampa Bay unfolded, it probably is incapable of being damaged as well. In turn, the 43-year-old seemingly has nothing left to prove on the gridiron.
But don't tell that to Brady, who already has shifted his focus to his 22nd NFL season. This doesn't bode well for the rest of the league, as the Bucs are poised to make a second consecutive march to football's grandest stage.
