Tom Brady did more than win his fifth Super Bowl ring this month. He all but ended any serious debate about who is the greatest quarterback of all-time.
Brady now has more titles than any quarterback, and if he continues to thrive in his age-40 season and beyond, it's quite possible he'll retire with every relevant statistical record. Even the biggest Peyton Manning, Johnny Unitas or Joe Montana fan in the room will admit that's tough to beat.
Aaron Rodgers certainly has a place in the conversation of the game's greatest all-time passers, but even the Packers superstar won't ignore the truth after Brady and the Patriots stunned the Falcons with a historic comeback in Super Bowl LI.
"I felt bad for Matt (Ryan)," Rodgers told In Depth with Graham Bensinger in an interview that aired this week. "I have gotten to know him over the years, he is a fantastic guy. He had an incredible MVP season and sitting there 28-3 I think everybody watching and probably at the game was thinking, 'Atlanta is gonna get their ring sized up here pretty soon.' So that was disappointing.
"So from a fan's perspective, what a great game to watch and to see Tom in his greatness on display one more time. I mean, he didn't need to win that to prove that he's the G.O.A.T., but just another part of his legacy there."
I'm probably (OK, almost certainly) reading into it way too much, but I like how Rodgers appears to swallow his pride before acknowledging that Brady is the greatest:
By the way, there is an alternate reality where it is Rodgers, and not Brady getting love as the G.O.A.T. right about now. Stay with me here: Let's imagine that the Packers beat the Falcons in the NFC Championship Game, then took out the Patriots in Super Bowl LI. Rodgers would end the season on a mythological 10-game winning streak with a final victory over Brady, who would head to the mountains in Montana stuck on four rings and having lost three of his last four Super Bowls.
Rodgers has two rings, two MVP awards, two Super Bowl MVPs and the most legendary winning streak in NFL history. Alas, the Football Gods had other plans.
