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When the annals of quarterbacking in the NFL are written, Tom Brady will sit above them all. He is the greatest quarterback to ever play the game, and his list of records is as impressive as it is unbelievable. He is the ultimate individual player, holding a host of passing records, including the most passing yards and passing touchdowns. In terms of team records, he holds the record for most Super Bowl victories with seven, more than any other franchise.
He has outlasted everyone, but for the purposes of recording for posterity, we must at least endeavor to make a list of people who gave him the toughest fights. Across his career, some quarterbacks have been Brady's biggest rivals.
Quarterbacks who rivaled Tom Brady
#5 - Eli Manning
In terms of pure talent, maybe Eli Manning does not come at the top of any list of quarterbacks, but in terms of being Brady's Super Bowl nemesis, he leads the fray. Eli Manning won two Super Bowls, both against the New England Patriots led by Brady. In both cases, the Giants were less favored than the Patriots, and yet in each case the former ended up trumping the latter.
In Super Bowl XLII, the Patriots entered the game as part of a perfect season, and were undefeated coming to the Super Bowl. Eli Manning won the MVP as the Patriots lost 17-14. He repeated the trick again in Super Bowl XLVI as the 9-7 Giants defeated the 13-3 Patriots.
#4 - Ben Roethlisberger
In terms of longevity in this era, no one comes close to Tom Brady. The only person who tried to get mighty close was Ben Roethlisberger. He is possibly retiring aged 39 and after playing for 18 seasons. Brady and Roethlisberger played for the two most successful franchises in NFL history, the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers, and each contributed to their successes.
Roethlisberger will retire with two Super Bowls if he does so now, and he is a surefire future Hall-of-Famer, where he will certainly join Brady. In terms of clutch performances as well, among compatriots, Roethlisberger alone could pass Brady for game-winning drives, leading the team behind from a deficit to victory with 51 such drives.
Tom Brady's biggest challengers
#3 - Aaron Rodgers
In terms of pure quarterbacking talent, people have often questioned whether Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers is better. Aaron Rodgers is known for making miraculous throws and not giving up many interceptions. His regular-season records in the past few years have made him a perennial favorite for the MVP award.
He won the MVP last year and is the presumptive nominee this year as well. If he were to win again, then he would have one more season MVP award than Tom Brady. Additionally, now that Brady is playing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC, they always have the potential to meet the Packers and Rodgers enroute to the Super Bowl, which adds to the intrigue. In terms of late career resurgence and competing for personal awards, Aaron Rodgers is definitely one of Tom Brady's top rivals.
#2 - Drew Brees
In terms of statistics, only one person comes near Tom Brady and that is Drew Brees. When Drew Brees retired last season, he was the leader in passing statistics. He was the first quarterback to reach 80,000 passing yards with 80,358 yards. That accounted for 571 touchdowns. His 279.99 yards per game is the highest among all quarterbacks who have at least 30,000 yards.
Tom Brady now has 84,520 passing yards and 624 touchdowns, but he has done so in more games. His passing yards per game are 265.79 yards per game, much lower than that of Drew Brees.
#1 - Peyton Manning
Top of the pile of Tom Brady's rivals has to be Peyton Manning. They are two of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game and their rivalry will always be the gold standard. They competed together in the AFC as Brady played for the New England Patriots and Manning for the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos.
Peyton Manning has won five MVP awards and Brady has won three. Both have made it to at least 14 Pro Bowls, and both were selected for the 100th year anniversary team in the NFL. Peyton Manning became the first starting quarterback to win the Super Bowl with two different franchises. The only one who ever managed to equal that record was Tom Brady when he won the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year.
There was a reason Tom Brady attended Peyton Manning's Pro Football Hall of Fame induction. Because if someone pushed Brady to become the best version of himself, it was Peyton Manning.
