Tom Brady didn't need to retire as the best quarterback in NFL history and the league's greatest player of all time to create speculation about whether anyone can challenge him for both titles anytime soon.Everyone who participates in that exercise is wasting their time. There is only one Tom Brady and there will never be another QB who getsclose to his legendary status.Brady to step away from the game as he planned, given he'll turn 45 late in the 2022 offseason. After 22 seasons, seven Super Bowl rings in nine trips with two teams and countle s regular-season and playoff records, it's impo sible for anyone else toenjoy that level of
Blank Jersey team and individual succe s for so long ever again.If there ever would be an NFL playerenshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame twice, Brady is the only worthy candidate. He had two separate 10-year stretches of greatne s. before leading the Patriots to their epic comeback win over the Falcons in Super Bowl 51. That was before adding another AFC championship and another ring in New England in Super Bowl 53. Lifting Tampa Bay immediately to a ring as a wild-card team in Super Bowl 55 at age 43.MORE: At age 37, almost eight years ago, That day never came, all the way through his Age 44 season in 2021, when he led the league in pa sing yardage (5,316) and pa sing touchdowns (43). That was the first time he had done that since the middle of his so-called prime in 2007.By every statistical, scouting and
Pete Rose Jersey straight-up eye-test measurement, there's nothing Brady left on the table during his career. As he leaves the game, many wonderwhether he would have ever stoppedcompeting forchampionships at a high level.Brady came into the league when Brett Favre was prolific and whenPeyton Manning and Drew Brees were just getting started with their respective greatne s. Kurt Warner was Brady's counterpart in his first Super Bowl. Not long after, Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger came into the NFL from the same draft. Following that, Aaron Rodgersand Ru sell Wilson burst onto the scene and looked like they would rack up multiple rings.All those quarterbacks will be keeping company with Brady in Canton someday. Their accomplishments still pale vs. what Bradydid.When looking at greatest-ever QB lists now, some of those Brady contemporaries are joined by Joe Montana, Dan Marinoand John Elway.But looking at longevity, production, proficiency and winning, Brady has open-and-shut cases against them all.MORE:With Brady owning the past and present, the only po sible challenge to him as the GOAT liesin the future. Brady is responsible for securing his own legacyas the primary person to usher in the modern pa sing boom, which gave rise to more teams figuringout QB with the most talented young pa sers
Tom Seaver Jersey (and runners).Brady's play with the Patriots and Buccaneers laughed in the face of the NFL's desire for parity. From 2002-21, a Brady-led team was in the Super Bowl nine times, or a ridiculous 45 percent of the Super Bowls in those two decades. It's even more ludicrous to think Brady's lucky seven rings account for 12.7 percent of all 55 Super Bowl victories. No QB can expect tosniff that level of dominance going forward.Patrick Mahomes is 26 and has one
Eugenio Suarez Jersey ring in two Super Bowl trips. It looked as if he might reign supreme for a whilewith the Chiefs starting a Patriots-like run of Super succe s. But in Mahomes' conference post-Brady, the Bills' Josh Allen and the Bengals' Joe Burrow look like they will be in for some rings, too. Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson and Mac Jones are waiting behind them. Trevor Lawrence and Tua Tagovailoa have the talent and potential to challenge for rings at some point as well.The NFC, led by Rodgers, Wilson, Matthew Stafford and Dak Prescott post-Brady (for now),doesn't have as many promising young guns, but it can get there in a hurry.There will be more legitimate Super Bowl contenders on the board overall, because it's no longer only a handful QBs with Brady one can actually see lifting the Lombardi Trophy.MORE:So a QB will not only need to win at a high ratebut also do it for a long time. Remember when Montana's four
Scooter Gennett Jersey Super Bowl rings to zero lo sesand the way he got there seemed like the untouchable standard? Brady almost doubled that. In relation to Brady running away with a marathon, matching Montana for any QB now feels like crawling into the back end of the conversation.Brady was just that GOAT over the years. What once was a debate graduated to a coronation. Now, he can be expected to rule the NFL forever.
