NFL New England Patriots

Tom Brady’s Legacy Should Be Unchanged Even With Super Bowl XLIX Win

Fresh Videos

By @Brandon__Raper

New England Patriots Super Bowl XLIX

Getty Images

The confetti may still be falling, the smoke still uncleared in University of Phoenix Stadium following the New England Patriots victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX, and already you can hear the discussion. Does this win cement Tom Brady’s legacy as the greatest quarterback of all time?

It’s hard to separate from the heat of the moment in the immediate aftermath of the game, but as solid as Brady has been in leading the Patriots to their fourth title in his time as starter, this doesn’t change much about how we’ll remember him 20 or 30 years from now.

That’s not to disparage Brady at all. His six career Super Bowl starts are the most of all time, and now he’s tied with Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana, legends in their own right, with four championship rings. Those are the numbers of a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer, and a guy who will be talked about for generations to come.

However, would we really have thought anything differently about him had the Patriots lost this game, as it looked all but certain they would with just one minute left?

Seattle really owned the majority of the second half, and although Brady led an intense comeback drive, capped by the Julian Edelman touchdown that would prove to be the game-winner, the Seahawks had second-and-goal at the New England 1-yard line. Marshawn Lynch seemed like a sure thing to pound the ball into the end zone with three tries. Then, all hell broke loose, and the rest is history. What we’ll really remember from tonight is more likely to be Pete Carroll‘s playcalling failure at the end than anything Brady did.

Brady puts his heart and soul into the game, that much is evident. He’s made stars of the likes of Rob Gronkowski and Edelman, and he’s done it consistently for over a decade. However, he made his share of mistakes on Sunday, including two uncharacteristic interceptions that slowed the Patriots offensive machine when they were moving along. He carried the Patriots on his back, but when faced with the Seattle juggernaut on defense, it almost wasn’t enough.

Tom Brady may still go down in history as the greatest quarterback to ever play the game, and that would be an honor he’s earned with every day he’s gone to work. While his fourth championship is a remarkable achievement, it isn’t the tipping point in that argument.

Brandon Raper is the lead golf writer and an NFL contributor for Rant Sports. “Like” him on Facebook, follow him on Twitter @Brandon__Raper, and join him on Google+.

Share Tweet
Trending Now on