Terry Bradshaw has never been one to hide his true thoughts and opinions. Bradshaw, a Hall of Fame quarterback and current Fox NFL analyst, was asked on Thursday if he believes that Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all-time.
"I don't think he's the greatest quarterback of all-time," Bradshaw said during an interview with 93.7 The Fan. "It's hard to say. He may be the best quarterback we've had in the last 30 years. Is he better than [Roger] Staubach? No. Is he better than Dan Fouts? No. Dan Marino? No. I'm talking talent-wise when you're putting all of it together.
"Does he have more Super Bowls than anybody? Yes. Therefore, he's the best. I absolutely have no problem saying it. If you've got the most Super Bowls, you can be in there, but I don't put anybody as the greatest of all-time. Is he better than Montana? Not in my opinion. Is he better than Drew Brees? Yeah, maybe."
Bradshaw went onto say that he is tired of how much attention Brady has received following his decision to leave the Patriots after 20 years. Last month, Bradshaw openly questioned why Brady would choose to leave the Patriots -- a team he won six Super Bowls and nine AFC titles with -- to sign with the Buccaneers, a franchise that hasn't been to the playoffs since 2008.
"It's just a lot of things. I'm a little bit tired of all this soap opera going on between him and [Bill] Belichick," Bradshaw said. "Look, he left because he wanted to prove something, and he wants to prove to everyone that he can win without Bill Belichick. Between all that, you say all the wonderful things [about Belichick] … but after 20 years, he's leaving. You gotta be kidding me."
A four-time Super Bowl champion during his time with the Steelers, Bradshaw said that, despite some tumultuous moments with former Steelers head coach Chuck Noll, he never would have considered playing for another franchise. Unlike Brady, Bradshaw did not have that option, as an elbow injury forced Bradshaw into retirement following the 1983 season.
"I never wanted to leave Pittsburgh," he said. "No matter what my relationship was with Chuck, which was a good working relationship. Wasn't always pleasant. I damn sure didn't always like it. But I respected him and I knew if I followed his direction, I knew that he would win. All I cared about was winning."
The "greatest of all-time" debate is one that will probably never cease to exist. If Bradshaw played in today's era, he would probably throw for 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns every season. If Brady played during Bradshaw's era, his statistics would not come close to the numbers he put up with the Patriots. The same can be said about any quarterback from any era, which is why it is challenging to compare quarterbacks from different eras to one another.
It's also clear, based on Bradshaw's comments, that there is a difference between the greatest and the best quarterback of all-time. Greatness, according to Bradshaw, has to do with individual talent, while best has more to do with team success. While Bradshaw will probably never anoint Brady as the greatest quarterback of all-time, there's little dispute that he is the most accomplished -- and therefore, the best -- quarterback that has ever stepped foot on a football field.
