PHOENIX – All that is on the line for Super Bowl XLIX for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is becoming practically an undisputed pick for greatest quarterback ever.
No big deal.
Some people will argue that Brady already holds that title, and they might be right. On Sunday he’ll become the second player in NFL history to appear in six Super Bowls, and the other is longtime backup defensive lineman Mike Lodish. No great player can match Brady’s six conference championships. Only nine players in NFL history have multiple MVPs, and he’s one of them. He's already in the top five all time in completions, yards, touchdowns and rating.
But all of that, with a fourth Super Bowl ring, and the debate should be done.
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“If he wins a fourth one, and he’s been here six times – nobody else has been here six times – those numbers speak for themselves,” Hall of Fame receiver and NFL Network analyst Michael Irvin said. “But when we start talking distance traveled, there’s not a man in sports, let alone a man in football, who has traveled a further distance than Tom Brady. He’s the greatest ever.”
I’ve often argued Peyton Manning is the greatest quarterback ever – his second act in Denver is absolutely unprecedented in NFL history – but it’s hard to argue it anymore if Brady gets his fourth title 13 years after his first one. Super Bowl rings are not the only measure of any player (if that’s the case, present to me why Brad Johnson is better than Dan Marino) but it’s obviously an important one. And Brady would be the ultimate winner at quarterback.
Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw are the other quarterbacks with four Super Bowl wins, but their 4-0 records wouldn’t trump Brady’s potential 4-2. I don’t give extra credit for Montana or Bradshaw being undefeated. It’s not like Montana’s seven playoff losses are better because they happened before Super Bowl. Most right-minded people would agree it’s a bigger accomplishment to get to the Super Bowl and lose than lose before the Super Bowl. Just getting there is a great accomplishment. Winning four is unbelievable. But getting the fourth title – and not having his Super Bowl record drop to 3-3 after a 3-0 start – would be an enormous difference for many people in the discussion of his legacy.
Brady’s response to all the talk of his legacy this week wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable, but he clearly had no interest in shining any light on himself. The former sixth-round pick said his ranking on the list of greatest quarterbacks doesn't matter to him.
“It doesn’t. Truthfully, it has never been a motivating thing,” Brady said. “I never envisioned I’d have a chance to play in a sixth Super Bowl. I wasn’t born for this. I just tried to work hard to put myself in position, and I’ve been on a great team with a lot of great players over the years, with great coaching.
“I love playing. That’s where my motivation is.”
Brady isn’t done, either. He threw for 4,109 yards and had a 97.4 rating this season. He’s 37 but seems like he might have another crack or two at making it back to a Super Bowl. He's still one of the best players in the game, and the Patriots haven't shown any signs of slipping either.
But if Brady and the Patriots can win today, any further championships would just add to the top line of his NFL resume: greatest quarterback of all time.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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