Tom Brady and the Patriots won the AFC Championship Sunday, marking Brady’s eighth AFC Championship victory and thus clinching his eighth Super Bowl appearance.
As Brady’s accomplishments continue to grow, former 49ers’ quarterback Joe Montana’s case as the greatest NFL player of all time continues to diminish.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport joined Murph & Mac Monday morning and discussed whether Brady has already passed up Montana.
“He did before this, to me,” Rapoport said. “I mean, he’s the greatest. And we can spend all the time, there’s a lot of different debates, did Belichick make him or did he make Belichick, you know, is he the greatest of all time? The accomplishments are so far beyond that it almost defies debate. Like, is he the greatest of all time? Of course. Of course he is.”
Montana led the 49ers to their greatest heights and is largely considered one of the most skilled quarterbacks in NFL history. Up until Brady’s rise, Montana was often billed as the “GOAT.” However, the extent of Brady’s dominance with the Patriots and his continued excellence has changed the conversation, and Rapoport said he’s never seen “anything like this.”
“He’s (Brady) the most dominant player at the most important position, in the game where it’s toughest to dominate, at an age where no one plays, and he’s probably better now than he’s ever been,” Rapoport said. “It’s unbelievable. And I’ve never seen anything like this, I probably never will again. I think the most important thing is every time he does something crazy, like get 12 stitches in his hand and come back and have one of the best performances we’ve seen in a while, you sort of have to appreciate it.”
Listen to the interview below. To hear Rapoport’s comments on Brady vs. Montana, skip to the 9:10 mark.