ESPN released an article on Thursday ranking the greatest NFL quarterbacks of the modern era, as voted on by a panel of current and former NFL head coaches.
Pete Carroll, Tony Dungy, Mike Holmgren, Howard Mudd, Wade Phillips, Mike Reinfeldt, Ray Rhodes, Mike Shanahan, Al Saunders and Norv Turner all ranked their top 10 quarterbacks since 1978, and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady came out on top.
He was ranked ahead of the other quarterbacks 87 percent of the time by the panel, with Peyton Manning coming in second at 80 percent. Joe Montana placed third, John Elway fourth and Aaron Rodgers fifth.
Here’s a few of the excerpts on Brady from the coaches who voted:
Wade Phillips, three-time NFL head coach who entered the league in 1976 and coached both Elway and Jim Kelly: "Tom Brady is easy for me. He is such a winner. They haven't always had great defenses, and they have still won an unbelievable amount of games and the championships and so forth. I just think he's the hardest to defend against. It doesn't matter who their receivers are. Bradshaw was a little that way. Tom Brady is just the best our teams have ever played against."
Tony Dungy, Hall of Fame coach who debuted in the NFL as a player in 1977: "It can be tough to separate the great quarterback from the great coach. We have seen this in every era: Otto Graham and Paul Brown, Bart Starr and Vince Lombardi, Johnny Unitas and Don Shula/Weeb Ewbank, Terry Bradshaw and Chuck Noll, Joe Montana/Steve Young and Bill Walsh. I don't think Bill Belichick would be Bill Belichick without Tom Brady, and Brady would not have the same success without Belichick and the way they have put that team together. But the one common thread through 15 years was Brady. When they had him, they won big -- won championships. The quarterback has so much to do with it."
Norv Turner, three-time NFL head coach and longtime coordinator who coached Troy Aikman: "Brady's record speaks for itself. He just finds a way to get it done over and over and over again. I don't think there is any situation that he has not mastered. He is a great decision-maker. I mean, you don't want to get into a two-minute drill against Brady. He is also remarkable because he has gotten hit a lot and lasted."
Al Saunders: "The thing that I asked myself is, "Who do I fear the most? Who did you not want to have the ball in their hands at the end of the game, regardless of the personnel that they played with?" I think of Brady that way."
Mike Reinfeldt, 1979 AFC Defensive Player of the Year and longtime executive with four franchises: "If some guys are game managers, Brady is a field marshal. He's in control of all aspects of the game, able to change his game to meet a specific plan. He's been blessed to play his whole career for one of the best all-around coaches ever. Brady and Belichick seem to be in total sync. Brady has taken the game to a new level with training, nutrition and overall fitness. That is partly why he has been able to play at his prime level for such a long period of time."
Mike Golic of ESPN's Mike & Mike wasn’t too sure if Brady should be No. 1, though, and had this to say:
“If I was in the Super Bowl and I had to name a starting quarterback, I’m not sure if I’d go Brady or Montana – I don’t know if I’m not still leaning toward Montana."
Golic's partner disagreed, though, stating:
“I think it’s clear Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time, whether we take into account rings, stats, longevity, leadership, none of which Montana is lacking, but Brady has just so far exceeded everyone’s expectations, not only of himself, but of what we can demand from a human being.
"Brady is the greatest football player of all time, regardless of position. He has mastered the sport in a way no other person has.”
Check out the full article here:
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