Chris Simms/Kurt Warner feud growing over Tom Brady and Drew Brees

NFL analysts Chris Simms and Kurt Warner exchanged shots in the media over Simms’ low quarterback rankings of Tom Brady and Drew Brees.

For those who enjoy regular viewing and analysis of both NFL and TMZ content in their lives, boy, do we have a new developing story for you.

NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms has been hard at work this offseason compiling a list of who he considers to be the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL heading into 2019. Slowly but surely he’s been counting down that list, starting with No. 40 and working his way all the way down to No. 1.

Up until very recently, the list wasn’t generating much controversy or dissension, if any. Certainly nothing widespread or notable in terms of making wake or generating ripples of discussion in the media.

And then Simms revealed his QBs at the Nos. 9 and 10 spots as being the Patriots‘ Tom Brady and the Saints’ Drew Brees, respectively… and all hell broke loose.

Many Twitter users attacked Simms for pegging two surefire Hall of Famers so low on his list, openly wondering how on earth he could slot some of the names not-yet-listed as being higher than Brees or Brady. These are, after all, two quarterbacks who, between them, either own or are about to own the vast majority of passing records, awards, and accolades available to quarterbacks in NFL history.

Even Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, who currently works as a television analyst and radio announcer, felt the need to chime in with his displeasure and disagreement over the rankings, coming to Brady and Brees’ defense quite ardently in the process:

Not to be publicly undone by Warner, Simms fired back on OMF radio, calling the 47-year-old former quarterback a “part time analyst” and a “troll,” while also trumpeting his own knowledge and credibility above Warner’s.

Predictably, Warner didn’t like that much… and he let Simms know, again via Twitter.

On Tuesday, it appeared that Warner had cooled off a bit, and was willing to let the voice of reason prevail over all the mud-slinging and insult-trading. He sat down with the OMF media team to put the whole feud into proper perspective, and calmly explained why he has such a problem with Simms’ rankings.

“The problem I have is I am not saying Chris (Simms) doesn’t do his work or have reasons for it, I just find it hard to give someone credibility when they have Drew Brees, who set a record in competing 73 percent of his passes, and then Tom Brady who won the Super Bowl, having them way down at nine or 10 on the list,” Warner vocalized. “It’s hard for me to understand.”

He also completely dismissed the notion that Brady and Brees are simply lucky for playing in good systems or under good coaches.

"“I am not a big fan of, ‘Well, if they were in another system…’ If all of us were in a different system or with other players, our careers could look completely different, but we have no idea and no way to know that. I hate that argument. ‘Well, if you put Patrick Mahomes in that offense, then they would have won the Super Bowl, too.’ I don’t know. To me I don’t like that part of the argument, so you have to give me a little bit more than ‘he doesn’t do enough in the system,’ or ‘the system helps him a great deal.’ I am not a fan of those types of things.”"

We might be biased as obvious fans of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, but Warner’s words ring awfully true.

Anyone can play the game of “what if?” when it comes to sports, all day and all night until they’re blue in the face. Ultimately the only real way to judge teams and players against one another is by analyzing what they’ve done with the circumstances and situations they found themselves in – and in those categories, it’s pretty hard to argue that any current quarterback not named Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, or (maybe) Philip Rivers comes even remotely close to Tom Brady and Drew Brees.

For our money, Brady should be No. 1, Rodgers No. 2, Brees No. 3, Roethlisberger No. 4, and Rivers No. 5.

What do you think? Where would you rank the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL heading into the upcoming 2019 season? Let us know in the comments section below!