After the New England Patriots’ unbelievable comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI, many began proclaiming quarterback Tom Brady, the winner of five Super Bowls and four Super Bowl MVP awards, is the greatest player that has ever walked on a football field.
Not New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall.
Marshall, who conveniently plays for the division rival of the Patriots, won’t give Brady the honors.
“He’s not the best player ever,” Marshall told NJ Advance Media.
“We get caught up in that whole discussion, that when a quarterback is playing really well, he’s probably the best in the business, and we think he’s the best player,” Marshall said. “And that’s not true. When I think about [a] player, I think about a guy that I can put at corner, safety, defensive end, a guy that I can put back on punt return, chase down kicks.
“That, to me, is the best player,” he said. “J.J. Watt, that can play defensive end, tight end, put him at tackle, make him lose some weight and he can probably play linebacker and safety. That’s the best player.”
It’s an interesting way of facing the best player to play the game. Basically, Marshall looks for versatility when it comes to NFL greats.
But one thing that Brady is really, really good at is leading football teams to victories and championships. While Watt is a gigantic force at his main position of defensive end for the Houston Texans, he doesn’t quite have the same impact on the game as Brady.
Oh, and, again, Brady has five Super Bowl rings. That’s more championships than both Marshall and Watt have in playoff appearances … combined.
• Tommy Chalk can be reached at tchalk@washingtontimes.com.
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