Joe Montana doesn’t consider that Tom Brady is the perfect quarterback in NFL historical past

Given his intensive resume, Tom Brady is extensively thought-about the best quarterback in NFL historical past.

It’s a validated standing that’s recurrently accepted in most circles, be it former gamers, executives, followers, or the media.

Properly, in most circles, no less than.

Throughout a current interview with Males’s Well being, Corridor of Fame quarterback Joe Montana — largely thought-about the best QB in league historical past earlier than Brady’s ascension — tabbed one more sign caller as the perfect that soccer has ever seen.

No, Montana didn’t nominate himself, or different legends of the sport like Peyton Manning or John Elway.

For Montana, his choose is Dan Marino.

“Put Marino into immediately’s sport the place he will get free launch…and his receivers, holy cow, weren’t very large,” Montana stated. “Now these guys are 6’4,” 6’5.” I believe [Marino] might be one of the vital unsung heroes of the sport. Individuals don’t speak sufficient about him or notice the numbers that he put up through the instances that he put them up.”

It needs to be famous that Montana did draw a distinction between the “biggest” and “finest” quarterbacks in league historical past, with the previous title factoring in profession achievements, and the latter revolving round pure expertise and ability.

If that’s Montana’s line of pondering, his take is a bit simpler to digest.

Although a participant like Brady maybe didn’t possess the strongest arm and definitely not the perfect wheels as a sign caller, his achievements on the gridiron (seven Tremendous Bowl titles, 5 Tremendous Bowl MVPs, 3 MVPs, and so on.) all converse for themselves. 

Regardless of Marino’s evident expertise (9 Professional Bowls, three All-Professional choices, one MVP), he solely performed in a single Tremendous Bowl — shedding to Montana and the 49ers in Tremendous Bowl XIX again in January 1985.

Nonetheless, Montana has recurrently modified his tune on the subject of bestowing the “GOAT” title on one quarterback.

After Brady — who idolized Montana and the 49ers whereas rising up within the Bay Space — received his seventh Tremendous Bowl with the Buccaneers in 2021, Montana declared Brady as the perfect to ever play at QB. 

However the next 12 months, Montana was hesitant to validate Brady as the best, noting that it’s robust to check totally different eras of soccer whereas referencing older legends like Otto Graham.