Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady is regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, perhaps the GOAT in terms of career stats and overall accomplishments. But Chris Simms refuses to acknowledge those accolades alone, claiming there are plenty of other factors that influence the rankings of the greatest quarterbacks ever.
On Monday, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback raised eyebrows with his controversial all-time quarterbacks list based on players in their prime era. To everyone’s surprise, Brady was ranked No. 9, far below players like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson. Simms, however, had a justification for the ranking.
Tom Brady Falls Behind Peyton Manning in All-Time List
Peyton Manning secured the top spot in Simms’ quarterback rankings. The former player-turned-analyst claimed that quarterbacks like Manning had the ability to carry an entire team on their shoulders, even with a below-average roster.
He was the whole soul of the team, regardless of how well or poorly the defense performed. The same, according to Simms, could not be said for Brady, who always had the backing of defensive mastermind Bill Belichick.
The Sheriff clocks in at No. 1. ☝️ pic.twitter.com/63boUh62Sq
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) July 13, 2026
“If you put him in some other situations, I don’t know if it would have looked as pretty,” Simms explained while breaking down his quarterback rankings.
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“Tom Brady [has an] all-time arm, all-time command on the field, and doing stuff like that. Definitely one of those guys, and like you said, you could do more with more. I’m not sure you could do more with less, like you could have some of these guys on this list, and that’s where I would argue.
“Brady [is] amazing, but [he’s] not gonna extend plays, needs pass protection… no backyard plays, very few in the history of his whole career,” Simms added, “He was awesome in his prime, but some of these other guys we’re gonna talk about are like one-man shows.”
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In Simms’ rankings, Mahomes came in at No. 2. Aaron Rodgers, John Elway, Brett Favre, Allen, Jackson, and Dan Marino followed before Brady finally appeared at No. 9.
To some extent, Simms’ argument makes sense. Manning reached the Super Bowl four times under four different head coaches. He had the ability to turn things around almost single-handedly.
To some extent, Mahomes had a similar trajectory. If he struggles, the entire team tends to fail. Last season was a perfect example of this notion.
While Brady may have had the luxury of great pass protection and elite defenses, his ability to stay consistent is what sets him apart. For 23 seasons, he never lost that edge. His competitiveness and hunger to win fueled his game.
What do you think? Are you aligned with Simms’ assessment?
