It's hard to imagine that we are living in 2026 and there are still people out there who argue that Tom Brady isn't the greatest quarterback of all time and that someone like Aaron Rodgers is.
But that's the reality we're still living in, despite how many records Brady has broken and set, how many championships he's won, and how many current, former, and legendary players have agreed he is the best to ever be under center.
It's gotten to the point where analysts and fans discredit his entire body of work, especially by downplaying what he accomplished in his 40s, and many current quarterbacks, most notably Rodgers, believe they can replicate the kind of success Brady achieved that late in his career.
The problem is that playing at a high level 20+ years into your career is almost unheard of, especially in the NFL. So Brady winning a Super Bowl at 43, in his first season with the Bucs, is not only uncommon but highly unlikely for almost any other player.
That hasn't stopped others from trying to do it too; Rodgers is still playing at 42. And because he hasn't played well for a few years now, with his latest stinker coming against the Patriots, analysts, fans, and even NFL executives are finally admitting that he's just not elite anymore, further proving that Brady is, in fact, an anomaly.
Aaron Rodgers' continued decline further proves that Tom Brady is an outlier
With his most recent performance coming under scrutiny, which just so happened to be another loss courtesy of the Patriots, Rodgers is now being dragged through the mud for bringing the Steelers down this season, with one rival executive telling The Athletic that it's not surprising to see him playing so poorly.
"What did you expect? He's 42, can't do it anymore. Never thought that would work, anyway."
Although we didn't need to hear this kind of reaction from anyone to believe even more that Brady is the GOAT, it is nice to finally see people admitting that not every quarterback can be elite this late in their career, no matter how much they want to believe it is possible.
The kind of production we saw from the longtime Patriots' starter is something we'll likely never see again because he was that good, and it's unfathomable that he played at such a high level so late in his career.
In fact, he helped lead the Bucs to their first Super Bowl win in almost 20 years against one of the hottest teams in the NFL today, the Chiefs, led by whom many already suggest have surpassed Brady in every possible way, quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The thing is, they can't take away that Brady beat Mahomes' Chiefs in two key matchups: one with the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game in Kansas City and another with the Bucs in Super Bowl LV.
Surely, that proves beyond any doubt that Brady is the GOAT, especially since he beat a young, thriving quarterback, who is supposed to be in or on the cusp of his prime, at 43 years old.
That same sentiment applies to Rodgers, who hasn't fared well since turning 40. Although he never faced Brady during that time, it's clear the current Fox Sports commentator clears him in every measurable aspect that matters for quarterbacks, with wins being the most important.
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