Ranking quarterbacks has always been an interesting thought exercise for the NFL fan base. Given the various styles, systems, and eras, it can be tough to master objectively, especially with the razor-thin margins at the very top.
However, given the length of his accomplishments, Tom Brady has cemented himself at, or at least near the top of the list. Which is what made the choice from Chris Simms to barely have him in the top-10 all the more puzzling.
Tom Brady Is a Victim of Circumstances
The resume is undeniable. Three MVPs, virtually every passing and winning statistic in the record book, seven Super Bowls, and the architect of arguably the greatest dynasty in sports history, Brady has earned all the plaudits showered on him.
As a result, players like Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning, who have won more MVPs and even have at least one title on their resume, are typically seen below him in the all-time hierarchy. But Simms had a different perspective altogether.
The NBC analyst, who co-hosts “Pro Football Talk,” put together a list of the 10 best “in-prime” quarterbacks of all-time with one major controversy. The figure that is nearly universally seen at the top of the list was toiling away near the bottom.
Rather than having Brady a spot or two lower than number 1, Simms placed him at number 9, behind names like Patrick Mahomes, Dan Marino, Brett Favre, and even Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.
It immediately drew the ire of the entire NFL fandom, but during an appearance on the “Dan Patrick Show,” the veteran analyst and former quarterback himself defended the rankings and explained his rationale.
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“Brady was afforded the luxuries of the greatest pass protection of any quarterback of all-time,” Simms said. “That’s not me; those are any analytic site you look at. The most open receivers in the history of the game. The greatest defensive coordinator ever in the history of the game.”
But beyond that, the innovation the New England Patriots gave Brady enabled him to succeed at the highest possible level.
Simms added, “They invented the slot receiver. I mean, he had other things where I’d go, other people didn’t have those luxuries to have that around them.”
However, his arguments against Brady didn’t end with just the help he had around him. Even taking that into consideration, his next point of emphasis came from Brady’s prime. Terming 2003-2012 as that period, he believed others outshone him in that timeframe.
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“Of those years, maybe one year you go, he was the best quarterback in the NFL,” Simms said. “All the other ones, it goes Payton Manning, it goes Aaron Rodgers into the end of that prime there. And so that’s where I argue that a little bit, but it’s not an easy exercise, and I challenge the conversation.”
The selection criteria do leave a lot to be desired, as the next decade may have been the most dominant stretch from Brady, both in terms of raw production and with the success his teams had.
But even during the decade-long stretch that Simms is referring to, Brady won two MVPs, had a perfect 16-0 campaign, and led the Patriots to four Super Bowl appearances, winning two
So while it is impossible to have a perfect system, it is hard to fully agree with the justification from Simms about his list. However, given the bold nature of his opinion, it has opened the conversation once again about where some of the greatest signal-callers in history fit in.
