'Tom Brady isn't the best QB of all time, Peyton Manning is': Marcellus Wiley gives his verdict on the GOAT debate

Just when you think the debate about the greatest quarterback of all time is settled, Marcellus Wiley comes in and opens the proverbial can of worms again.

Does Peyton Manning rank above Tom Brady in the pantheon of quarterbacks? Wiley certainly seems to think so, while acknowledging that he is among the very few of that opinion.

So, what gives? Does Wiley's argument have a leg to stand on?

What Marcellus Wiley said about Peyton Manning and Tom Brady

Marcellus Wiley set the cat among the pigeons when he declared that Peyton Manning, not Tom Brady, is the greatest quarterback of all time.

.@MarcellusWiley believes Peyton Manning should definitely be in the GOAT conversation“I always say Tom Brady’s the GOAT because I just don’t want to argue but if you ask me who’s the best QB of all time it’s Peyton Manning. It’s not even a conversation for me.” pic.twitter.com/GC6GLF8sfq

— Speak For Yourself (@SFY) August 9, 2021

He further added that the only reason he says that Tom Brady is the greatest is because he does not want to get into long arguments.

Wiley said he bases his opinion on the fact that he played against both of them and knows, first-hand, who was a tougher challenge. According to him, it was Peyton Manning, hands down.

He added that it's not a slight on Brady, but it's just that when people think it's a settled debate, they don't even bring Manning into the conversation.

He went on to add that Peyton Manning won two Super Bowls with two different franchises as a starting quarterback. Moreover, Wiley rightly observed that Peyton Manning has five NVL MVPs, an unparalleled feat.

Why some arguments support putting Peyton Manning over Tom Brady

Now, before Tom Brady fans dismiss Marcellus Wiley out of hand, there are some points one must consider in this debate.

First, Tom Brady is, without a shadow of a doubt, the greatest winner the NFL has ever seen. He has won seven Super Bowl titles and is a five-time Super Bowl MVP. He remains the presumptive nominee for the title of the greatest QB of all time.

Peyton Manning, though, has a legitimate claim to that throne. Manning regularly set records for a quarterback. His 2013 season was the stuff of legend; he threw for 55 touchdowns and 5,477 passing yards, both of which are yet to be surpassed.

That season was not a flash in the pan either, as he had 14 seasons where he exceeded 4,000 passing yards. Peyton Manning excelled individually in the quarterback position like no one else before or since.

Peyton Manning is one of 10 QBs selected to the #NFL100 All-Time Team!🏆 2x Super Bowl Champion🏆 5x NFL MVP ('03, '04, '08, '09, '13)🏆 7x First-Team All-Pro, 14x Pro Bowler🏆 Set single-season NFL records for pass yards (5,477), pass TD (55) in 2013 pic.twitter.com/KXFZK6Huas

— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2019

Perhaps what should really put Peyton Manning in the conversation for the greatest of all time is something that cannot be defined by statistics. The way he altered the dynamic at the line of scrimmage changed the position forever.

In many ways, there is a before-Manning and a post-Manning period for quarterbacks in the NFL. That legacy will most certainly outlast many of his current records.