Chris Simms unveiled his all-time “in their prime” quarterback rankings, and Tom Brady wasn’t at the top. In fact, the seven-time Super Bowl champion didn’t even crack the top five, landing ninth on Simms’ list.
Simms placed Peyton Manning at No. 1, followed by Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, John Elway, and Brett Favre, rounding out his top five. Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Dan Marino filled out spots six through eight, pushing Brady down to No. 9, just ahead of Roger Staubach.
Simms defended his reasoning, arguing that Brady benefited from playing in a well-oiled system built by Bill Belichick. The NFL community, however, wasn’t buying it, with many blasting the analyst over the rankings.
NFL World Rips Chris Simms Over Tom Brady Ranking
“Tom Brady did get afforded the luxury, especially in his prime, in the early prime years of, ‘We’re not asking you to carry the team, Belichick is going to come up with an unbelievable defensive gameplan,'” Simms said.
He added that Brady was “not going to extend plays” and needed strong pass protection to thrive, unlike some of the other quarterbacks on his list who overcame difficult circumstances with sheer talent.
The reaction across the NFL world was swift and largely unforgiving. Sports medicine doctor and NFL injury analyst Dr. Jesse Morse summed up his disbelief in just a few words. “Brady at 9,” he wrote, poking fun at the ranking with a trio of laughing emojis.
Robby, who posts under the handle @greerreNFL, pointed out an obvious contradiction in the list. He noted that two of the quarterbacks ranked ahead of Brady struggled against him repeatedly during their careers.
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“First 2 guys on this list sure did spend a lot of that ‘prime’ losing to the 9th guy on this list,” he wrote. Podcaster Joel Moran kept his response short and blunt. “Tom Brady at 9 is malpractice,” he posted, despite Brady actually landing at No. 9 on the graphic.
First 2 guys on this list sure did spend a lot of that “prime” losing to the 9th guy on this list https://t.co/Wpn7ktjchV
— Robby (@greerreNFL) July 13, 2026
The Clutch Mode Pod account echoed that sentiment. “This is a joke. Tom Brady 8. Stop it,” their post read, paired with a Michael Jordan reaction gif.
The Stats account also weighed in, wondering aloud what could possibly justify such a low ranking. “What did Tom Brady do to make Chris Simms hate him,” the post asked, adding a laughing emoji for good measure.
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Reactions on X only got harsher from there. Daniel Rotman suggested the take was so bad it should end Simms’ media career entirely. “This should be enough to have someone banned from ever publicly speaking about the sport again,” he wrote.
Savage, the account that originally shared the clip of Simms explaining himself, called the whole thing unnecessary. “I know it’s a dead zone, but you don’t have to put out this level of rage bait,” the post said, adding a simple “Shameful” underneath.
I know it’s a dead zone, but you don’t have to put out this level of rage bait.
Shameful https://t.co/4X88X3SsgY
— Savage (@Savageboston) July 13, 2026
Not every reaction to Simms’ rankings was purely emotional. Cerrone Battle of “98.5 The Sports Hub” made a statistical case for why Brady’s prime deserves more respect than most.
“Brady threw for 5000 yards and 50 TD’s and went 16-0 in his prime, and 14 years later he threw for 5300 yards and 43 TD’s. His prime lasted a decade and a half and was better than anyone’s peak,” he wrote on X.
Simms knew his rankings would be controversial, predicting they’d bring “blowback.” The reaction has been fierce, but as of now, there’s no indication he’ll revisit his decision.
