SANTA CLARA, CA – FEBRUARY 07: Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos celebrates after defeating the Carolina Panthers during Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. The Broncos defeated the Panthers 24-10. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 602536555 ORIG FILE ID: 508989972 How much weight does winning a Super Bowl ring carry?
When Peyton Manning retired after last season, riding high after his Denver Broncos had just won Super Bowl L, many considered him one of the greatest to ever play the game. Manning’s intellect under center made him feared by any defense who had the the misfortune of having to defend against Manning. More times than not, Peyton was surgical under center, dissecting defenses with relative ease, as if getting his team into the endzone was just another day at the office for the near certain first-ballot Hall of Famer. A 5-time MVP, Manning only has one very subjective thing holding him back from likely being the consensus best QB ever- the possession of “only” 2 Super Bowl rings. Manning’s Colts beat the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, a game in which Manning won MVP. Many felt however that his defense had carried him to the latter of his 2 Super Bowl rings, and as a result didn’t do as much to help his legacy as his first did. He may not have had the most arm talent of all-time, but many would agree that he was certainly the most cerebral signal-caller to ever lace them up.
Another great player being hurt by the subjective importance of the Super Bowl ring is Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers. A 2-time MVP who some are starting to consider the most talented QB ever, Rodgers has 1 Super Bowl ring, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. One ring, however, is not enough to be considered greatest of all-time in the eyes of many, as it is thought that a player must have the legacy as the well as talent to be the best ever. Rodgers has made the playoffs 8 times in his 9 seasons, only missing out during his first year as a starter. His playoff career, however, has been on of near misses, considering that Rodgers and the Packers have lost 3 OT playoffs, and in all three occasions, Rodgers did not even get the ball in OT, thanks to several wildly inconsistent Green Bay defense, something that has been a recurring theme during Aaron’s tenure in Green Bay. He may be the most efficient QB in NFL history, having set multiple career passing, many of which are efficiency-based. Perhaps if he could win just one more ring, he would start to be seriously considered for the title of best ever. Until then, however, he may just have to settle for being widely considered as the most talented, without the playoff success that would allow him to potentially stake his claim as the greatest.
Then there are two QBs who have comparable talent to Rodgers and Manning, while also having the legacy to match. New England QB Tom Brady has 4 Super Bowl rings, while 49ers legend Joe Montana also has 4. And while Montana may not quite have the talent of the other 3, his legacy cannot be denied. He won 4 Super Bowls in San Francisco, as well as winning 2 NFL MVP awards, and setting passing records, many of which have since been broken by the other 3 QBs mentioned in this article. Tom Brady has 4 Super Bowl rings with New England, as well as 3 NFL MVP awards. Brady has the arm talent that, while slightly below Rodgers in that regard, is still one the great arms in NFL. He has pre-snap intelligence comparable to Manning, while possessing the pocket presence to match Rodgers. The main reason that Brady doesn’t stand out above the other 3 more in the G.O.A.T. conversation than one might think, is because he’s always had more talent him Rodgers, Manning, and even Montana. He has quite possibly the best coach in league history, a solid offensive line, and a defense that exceeds what Rodgers has, as well as what Manning had for most of his career in Indianapolis. Manning and Rodgers also seem to mean more to their teams. When Manning missed an entire season in Indianapolis with a neck injury, the Colts went 2-14, while Green Bay’s record without Rodgers is 2-7-1. The Patriots, however, are 13-7 without Brady, even making the playoffs when Brady missed an entire season with an ACL tear, going 10-6 with career journeyman Matt Cassell under center.
No matter who you consider the greatest QB of all-time, these 4 can certainly make an argument for it. While Manning and Montana both had incredible careers, their stories have already been written. Rodgers and Brady however, are still adding to their legacies, and still finishing their stories. The fact of the matter is, we have 2 QBs playing right now who could make a serious argument for being the greatest of all-time.They should be appreciated while we’re still able to watch them be great every Sunday, because once they retire, we may never a QB quite like either of them again.
- TAGS
- Peyton Manning
- Super Bowl
- Tom Brady
