To Tony Gonzalez, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is one of the best quarterbacks ever. But he stopped short of calling Brady the GOAT, noting several other quarterbacks including “Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, and Warren Moon.”
“He’s had the best career ever. The GOAT for the best career ever, by far,” Gonzalez said, via TMZ sports. “I don’t think that’s your question. But best quarterback ever? I don’t know if there’s ever a best anything.”
Gonzalez didn’t just limit this to quarterbacks. He extended this feeling to his own position of tight end, praising other greats.
“People say ‘hey, you might be the best tight end ever.’ I don’t know. I couldn’t say that. Antonio Gates, Shannon Sharpe, Ozzie Newsome, Kellen Winslow, there’s a whole bunch of them.”
Indeed, there’s no shortage of great players in NFL history. Given the changes in the game and how important circumstances are in such a team sport, it can be challenging to say definitively that one great player is better than another. Certainly, some are more willing than others, but it’s hard to fault Gonzalez for going a more diplomatic route.