Who do the best players of all time consider the best player of all time?
An impressive list of Hall of Fame players say that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who will try to win his sixth Super Bowl ring on Sunday, has already established himself as the greatest ever to play the game.
Here’s a list, compiled by NFL writer Dov Kleiman, of Hall of Famers on the record saying that Brady is the best ever to play:
Emmitt Smith: “The best quarterback ever to play the game is Tom Brady, in my opinion. Without a doubt.”
Deion Sanders: “It’s the Brady era. You can’t get no better than that.”
Michael Irvin: “All of us living should understand how blessed we are to be in this moment while he’s doing what he’s doing. I say yes to comparing him to [Michael] Jordan, and I think what he’s doing is more difficult.”
Jerry Rice: “I always felt Jim Brown was the best ever. But Tom Brady, you have to put him up there.”
Jim Kelly: “The best. No doubt.”
Troy Aikman: “It was always an easy answer, it was Joe Montana. Now . . . I’ve changed my tune. I think [Brady is] the greatest to play our sport.”
Shannon Sharpe: “Tom Brady is the greatest football player in the 97-year history of the NFL.”