Was Brady The Best Ever?

I know it’s old news and you are probably tired of hearing and reading about him but I would like to offer my thoughts on Tom Brady now that he has announced his retirement at the age of 45.  This is a Gisele-free commentary:

I’ll admit that I’ve always been a fan of TB12 even though I rarely rooted for the New England Patriots where he spent 20 of his 23 NFL seasons.  How could you not admire a player who clearly got the most out of his talent over more than two decades?  Brady never had the strongest arm and certainly did not have much in the way of speed but nobody had a better understanding of the game.  I can’t even count the number of times when watching him I shook my head in amazement as he marched his team down the field completely confusing opponents.

Sports fans love to argue about the greatest of all time and most have already anointed Brady as the G.O.A.T. when it comes to quarterbacks.  Like with all sports it is often very difficult to compare eras as today’s passing statistics far exceed those of the 70’s and even 80’s.  Teams play more games and in some cases quarterbacks throw twice as many passes as they did 50 years ago.  Of course the statistic that sets him apart from others is winning 7 Super Bowls, something that will likely never been matched.

Brady’s durability does set him apart from many others.  Even in today’s game where the quarterback is so protected it is rare for them to play an entire season.  Brady, who became the regular starter in 2001, only had two seasons in which he did not play every regular-season game and one of them was due to a suspension.

By the way Brady, who often took less money so his team could sign other players, made an NFL record $333 million in career earnings.  He’ll exceed that as a broadcaster when he begins a 10-year, $375 million contract with Fox Sports.  For those who have had more than enough of him be advised he’s not going away.