Tom Brady still has one fewer Super Bowl victory than his boyhood idol, San Francisco 49erslegend Joe Montana, but to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft there’s no question who’s the better quarterback.
“I think that Tommy, with all due respect, is better than Joe Montana,” Kraft told NFL.com. “I know that’s a leap, but I really think he might already be the best of all time. I watch how involved he is, how driven he is. He’s like (Patriots coach Bill) Belichick, he’s into the details. And he’s got a skill that makes him so special, he can process all of it so quickly. And then, he’s just got that quality. Certain people have that sincerity. He’s a very genuine guy. People can relate to him. People can trust him.”
The 35-year-old Brady has one more Super Bowl appearance than the Hall of Famer Montana, but one fewer victory. Montana has an all-time record of 4-0 in Super Bowls (tied with Terry Bradshaw for the top mark in NFL history) while Brady is 3-2.
Both have a track record of playoff success. Montana was 16-7 all-time in the postseason (.695 winning percentage) and Brady is 14-5 (.736).
In 161 career regular-season games (159 as a starter) over 12 seasons, Brady has 300 touchdown passes and just 115 interceptions for 39,979 yards, an average of 248.3 per game. Those numbers include a 2008 season in which he played just one quarter of one game before leaving with a season-ending injury. Montana, meanwhile, played in 192 games (164 as a starter) over 15 seasons with 273 touchdown passes, 139 interceptions and 40,551 career yards, an average of 211.2 yards per game.
Kraft also told NFL.com that Brady is “like a fifth son to me.”
Brady had similar compliments when informed of Kraft’s comments.
“Well, that’s my boss,” Brady told NFL.com. “And I love Mr. Kraft for a lot of reasons, and we have a great relationship, and a great friendship. He’s been through a lot the last few years. There’d be nothing more exciting for all us players than to win for him, because it means a lot to him, and it means a lot to Coach Belichick. I think the great part about being around here is that the expectation is only to win, and there’s nothing else. It’s not about selling tickets or T-shirts. It’s to win football games.”
–ESPN
