NFL

20 Reasons Tom Brady Will Always Outclass Aaron Rodgers

Darren Ryding - April 16, 2024

NFL

20 Reasons Tom Brady Will Always Outclass Aaron Rodgers

Darren Ryding - April 16, 2024

Tom Brady is arguably the greatest NFL quarterback of all time. However, some fans argue Aaron Rodgers is better. In some metrics, they’re correct because of his physical gifts. But it’s impossible to argue with Brady’s resume. He’ll always outclass Rodgers on the field and in life.

Brady is a more consistent player who has won the Super Bowl with two teams. He’s more successful on an individual level than any NFL franchise in history. Meanwhile, Rodgers has endured different circumstances with Green Bay. But it’s still fair to say that Brady will always outclass him. Check out the article below via Sporting News.

20. Double Glory

One of the main arguments against Brady’s greatness was his long-term coach. Some critical fans claimed that Brady couldn’t win without Bill Belichick. When he moved to Tampa, they expected a rapid decline. It was a chance for one last payday before sailing off into the sunset. However, Brady had other ideas.

He won his seventh Super Bowl ring with the franchise in extraordinary circumstances. Tampa became the first franchise to win the coveted prize in their stadium. Brady overshadowed young Chiefs’ superstar Patrick Mahomes in the process. After a tough start to the season, Brady settled and helped his team to achieve glory. He also joined an exclusive club that won with two franchises (via CBC News).

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19. MVP King

Both of these men have obviously enjoyed several great seasons. They also have three NFL MVP awards each to their names. However, this comes with a caveat. It’s arguably more challenging for a brilliant player to win it in a great team. Patrick Mahomes arguably deserved the prize as much as Rodgers in 2020. But there is one area where Brady blows Rodgers out of the water.

The veteran is a record four-time Super Bowl MVP award winner. This is incredible because it shows how influential he is in those big games. He doesn’t just show up and allow the defense to take over. Brady is phenomenal in the clutch and always puts in the yards. Sure, Rodgers hasn’t had the opportunities like Brady. But the record stands in Brady’s favor and he’ll always outclass the Packers’ star.

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18. Work Ethic

Brady’s work ethic is unquestionable. A video emerged in 2020 of the quarterback furiously chastising his teammate. They enraged him because they weren’t performing up to his high standards. To show such dedication at the age of 43 was impressive. A few months later, there were questions about Rodgers’ commitment to the NFL. This came immediately after he won the MVP award.

His former teammate Jermichael Finley questioned Rodgers’s work ethic. “Actually, you can see it right through his helmet,” he told ESPN after a defeat (via Fansided). “The eyes and the face tell everything as a personality. And, I just don’t see that NFL hunger and just the hunger to go win another championship.” This came after one of the most unsettled periods of Rodgers’ career.

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17. Better Myth

There’s an argument that Brady always plays with better players. This isn’t entirely true because it’s a matter of perspective. Sure, he’s enjoyed superior weapons over the years. Rodgers had Davante Adams at his disposal over the past couple of years. But he still put up superb numbers without much else. There is a myth that Rodgers’ defense is always worse than Brady’s.

However, this isn’t always true. From 2008 to 2012, the Patriots statically had a weaker defense. They allowed 344.4 yards per game compared to the Packers’ 322.2. But Brady had a 76.2 winning percentage with more touchdown passes than Rodgers. The Green Bay star only had a winning rate of 65.6 percent over this period. This shows that Brady was more important to his team at this point (via Bleacher Report).

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16. Draft Steal

Many people regard Brady as the biggest draft steal ever. In comparison, Rodgers was a bonafide contender for the No.1 pick. It was a surprise in 2005 when the 49ers chose Alex Smith instead. But Rodgers still went late in the first round. This was always going to be the case because of his college reputation. Famously, Brady was the 199th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2000 draft.

This was insane because nobody had any expectations for him. He started his career as a fourth-stringer but quickly became Drew Bledsoe’s backup. Then he took over as the starter and the rest is history. It’s wild because it was so unlikely. That’s why his career will always outclass Rodgers’. This type of story is straight from a fairytale. But Brady proved it can be a reality (via CBS Sports).

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15. Physical Limitations

There’s no denying that Rodgers is a better athlete than Rodgers. But this doesn’t mean he’s a better quarterback. First, Rodgers is extremely mobile and can be a genuine rushing touchdown threat. This is the opposite of Brady who has the footwork of a paraplegic snake. Meanwhile, Rodgers has a stronger arm. Despite his weaknesses, Brady is still arguably the best.

However, Brady refused to allow his athletic weaknesses to hold him back. Instead, he developed other aspects of his game. He’s phenomenal in the pocket and as a short passer. As long as the team plays to his strengths, there’s a good chance they’ll win with ruthless efficiency. Rodgers is also great in these areas but not quite as effective as Brady. Rodgers can aesthetically outclass Brady but he doesn’t win more (via USA Today).

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14. Montana’s Pick

Joe Montana knows what it means to be an all-time great. The San Francisco icon has a good claim to be the greatest himself. He’s a four-time Super Bowl champion as well as a three-time Super Bowl MVP. However, he admitted in 2021 that Brady’s CV speaks for itself. He didn’t even mention Rodgers in the conversation because he’s not. In short, Brady is on another level.

“I think Tom has taken his place on the top up there a long time ago,” Montana told ESPN (via CBS Sports). “He’s had a tremendous career, he’s fun to watch. Everybody always contests over that, but I think if you look at what Tom has been able to accomplish in his time that he’s played, I think it puts him definitely up there at the top of the list.” Remarkably, a legend like Montana can freely admit this.

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13. Total Dedication

In 2019, fans started to write Brady off. The Patriots fell out of the playoffs early and then Brady left. Many of them expected him to move to San Francisco but he chose Tampa. Some people thought he’d undergo an instant decline. They also believed that he’d struggle to adapt to Bruce Arians’ style of play. Perhaps Rodgers would finally outclass Brady in the league (via Daily Mail).

After a tough start to life in Florida, Brady never looked back. His experience and winning mentality brought the franchise to the next level. Bill Belichick called him the most coachable athlete he’s had. Now Arians benefited from the same attributes. Meanwhile, Brady’s dedication to his well-being and physical fitness is amazing. He regularly faces players half his age but outperforms them.

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12. Playoff Master

Brady is the undisputed king of the playoffs. There’s no way for Rodgers to outclass him here unless he wins the Super Bowl for the next five years. Brady almost has as many postseason wins against NFC opponents as Rodgers. This is despite playing in the AFC for 20 seasons. Rodgers has 11 wins against his conference rivals (via Sportscasting). Meanwhile, Brady has nine victories against NFC opposition.

Overall, Brady has defeated 18 of 32 NFL franchises in the playoffs. Brady’s postseason record stands at 33-11 and Rodgers is 11-8 as a starter. Brady has a much larger body of work. But his success rate is also far more impressive. He’s a brilliant clutch player and regularly inspires his team to do great things. Rodgers has underachieved and also has a terrible home playoff record.

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11. Great Teammate

Aaron Rodgers’ teammates don’t like him. That’s according to a former NFL GM (via Bleacher Report) “The guy’s selfish,” the GM said. “Teammates don’t like him. Coaches don’t like him. It’s all about Aaron. They all deal with him because he’s a superstar.” This is a damning indictment of the Green Bay star’s influence in the locker room. It appears that Brady seems to outclass him in this area.

James Harrison said that he wanted to hate Brady when he joined the Patriots. “The first person I met was Tom, and he just introduced himself as if I didn’t know who the hell he was,” Harrison told Pat McAfee (via Sportscasting). “But he does that with everybody. He’s just a genuinely good person. I wanted to hate him when I got there, so I’m like, ‘He’s feeding me some BS. He’s just being a good guy in front of me.’”

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10. Head-to-Head

Brady and Rodgers have enjoyed long NFL careers. But incredibly they’ve only played four times against each other. As they play in different conferences the opportunities are slim. However, Brady has the upper hand when it comes to their head-to-head record. His teams have beaten Rodgers three times with a single defeat. Of course, it’s not entirely fair to base their performances on the results.

Football is a team sport but the quarterback has the potential to change the sport. Their most recent clash saw the Bucs send the Packers out of the 2020 playoffs. In the end, Brady continued his winning record as he continued to outclass Rodgers. The Packers QB had a lot of motivation because this was about legacy. But Brady and his team were relentless in pursuit of victory (via Forbes).

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9. Comeback King

Brady teams have a much better record of achieving comebacks than Rodgers’. The latter is phenomenal when his team takes the lead. But his overall ability to inspire a team to victory from a losing position is grim. In 2018, Brady had a 109-64 record from a losing position. In contrast, Rodgers only had a 48.55 record. Brady also continued to outclass Rodgers from the same position in the postseason.

The Patriots went 15-9 from a losing position with a 63 percent winning rate. But Rodgers only had a 46 percent success rate with a 6-7 record. A close look at the fourth quarter shows Brady’s stunning ability to succeed. His teams went 30-47 while trailing at the start of the fourth quarter. In contrast, Rodgers only went 12-55. Statistically, Brady’s rate of success was 39 percent compared to just 18 percent (via Fox Sports).

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8. Belichick’s Pick

Bill Belichick is the most successful coach in NFL history. Rival fans despise him but his knowledge of the sport must be respected. He also had an interesting take on the best quarterback he coached against. However, Rodgers didn’t even enter the conversation. Instead, he opted for Peyton Manning. Admittedly, the Patriots don’t play the Packers very often. But it was still interesting to see Belichick’s perspective.

Belichick admired Manning’s ability to call his plays. “He basically called every play by adjusting and/or changing the play once he saw what the defense was doing,” he told the Boston Globe. He excelled at using the cadence and recognizing blitzes, and more than anyone single offensive player, he forced us to change and adapt defensive game plans.” The coach loved the challenge of trying to outclass Manning.

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7. Pro Bowl Star

Super Bowls aren’t always a fair reflection of an individual player’s ability. Dan Marino never won a ring because Miami never had a strong defense. But he is unanimously one of the greatest signal-callers ever. Brady’s unique record with seven rings as well as success with two franchises is unique. However, their Pro Bowl selection rate is an interesting comparison (via Sportskeeda).

Brady has 14 Pro Bowl appearances compared to Rodgers’ nine. Yes, Brady has played for longer than Rodgers, but he lost an entire season to injury. He also missed the first four games of the 2016 season after the DeflateGate scandal. But he still made the Pro Bowl and won the MVP award. Arguably, when a superstar plays alongside weaker teammates it’s easier to stand out. But it’s impossible to outclass Brady.

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6. New Playbook

We’ve spoken about Brady’s move to Tampa. But this came with a unique challenge. He was accustomed to Bill Belichick’s style of play for 20 years. Suddenly, he had to learn Bruce Arians’ playbook. Make no mistake, this was a massive challenge for an older quarterback. Nobody knows if Rodgers would prosper in such a situation. Maybe he’d blossom but Brady proved his ability.

It helped that the Buccaneers brought in Rob Gronkowski. However, it’s still a testament to Brady’s dedication that he continued to flourish (via Bleacher Report). Many younger quarterbacks struggle with new systems but it didn’t stop Brady. He continued to outclass and out-perform his opponents. Rodgers will probably leave Green Bay in 2022. Then, he’ll have to prove that he can do the same.

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5. All-Time Completions

At 44, Tom Brady led the NFL in passing yards in 2021. This was outrageous because of his age and the competition across the league. He continued to outclass rivals like Rodgers, Josh Allen, and Patrick Mahomes. It was staggering because he was so consistent. Furthermore, he was breaking records in every game he played. The Bucs faced the Buffalo Bills in December 2021 (via Bleacher Report).

This game saw a couple of special moments. Brady broke the record for the most touchdown passes ever. But he also shattered Drew Brees’ record for the most completed passes in history. Brady required 18 passes to break Brees’ landmark before this game. He duly went on a roll and hit his 7143 completion in the second quarter. Rodgers has a long way to go before he comes close to this number.

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4. Age is Just a Number

Tom Brady turned 44 years old in 2021. That number is staggering because of his brilliance on the field. His numbers continued to improve despite his age. Most athletes decline physically in their late thirties. But Brady is an outlier. He’s played better than he when he was in his twenties. Insanely, many regarded him as the top active quarterback in the league in December of that year.

He was the oldest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl in history in 2020. This came during Rodgers’ third MVP season. The Green Bay star was also a veteran at 38. But Brady’s consistency so late into his forties was ludicrous. It helps that he was never the fastest player or had the strongest arm. He played consistently to his strengths and did the little things right (via Slate.com).

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3. Untarnished Legacy

Rodgers was an uncontroversial figure for the majority of his career, then everything changed overnight. He suddenly demanded to leave Green Bay because he wanted to return to California. Furthermore, there was a vaccine controversy that tarnished him in the eyes of neutrals (via Medium.com). Brady successfully left the Patriots without burning bridges. His relationship with Bill Belichick was icy but publicly respectful.

New England fans felt devastated but there was no sense of betrayal. No doubt he’ll retire in the future as a Patriots star. The difference between Rodgers and Brady in this scenario is staggering. Rodgers didn’t consider his legacy when he pushed for the trade. Brady actually won more fan respect after his move because he was away from the hated Patriots. It’s another area where he continues to outclass Rodgers.

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2. 700 Touchdowns

In 2021, Tampa defeated the Buffalo Bills as they continued their Super Bowl defense. After the game, Brady received a lot of praise because he broke some incredible records. Firstly, he broke the all-time completions record. Then, he achieved his 700th career touchdown pass. This was a remarkable personal accolade because it was the first time in NFL history (via Sportskeeda).

It helps that Brady had great receivers but it still shows remarkable consistency. Furthermore, it required incredible longevity. Meanwhile, Rodgers had 484 in a shorter period. There is the possibility that he will break 700 touchdown passes one day. However, Brady is the one who set the record first. He continues to pave the way and outclass all of the competition.

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1. Super Bowl Master

Some analysts think it’s unfair to compare Brady’s Super Bowl record to Rodgers. The latter only has one ring after beating the Steelers in 2010. However, Mike McCarthy arguably wasted some of the best years of Rodgers’ career. They failed to build on their success. Meanwhile, Bill Belichick built a ruthless winning machine. Brady won six of his eight Super Bowl appearances with the team.

He then claimed a seventh ring with the Buccaneers. This was an incredible achievement because it meant he had more rings than any franchise. The Patriots and the Steelers have six each to their name. This also meant that Brady broke his own record. He’ll always outclass Rodgers in this category. Charles Hayley is the individual with the second-most rings with five. He starred for the Niners and Cowboys throughout the 1990s (via AS Sports).

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20 Reasons Tom Brady Will Always Outclass Aaron Rodgers

20 Reasons Tom Brady Will Always Outclass Aaron Rodgers

20. Double Glory

19. MVP King

18. Work Ethic

17. Better Myth

16. Draft Steal

15. Physical Limitations

14. Montana’s Pick

13. Total Dedication

12. Playoff Master

11. Great Teammate

10. Head-to-Head

9. Comeback King

8. Belichick’s Pick

7. Pro Bowl Star

6. New Playbook

5. All-Time Completions

4. Age is Just a Number

3. Untarnished Legacy

2. 700 Touchdowns

1. Super Bowl Master

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