Regarded as a pair of worthy candidates for the moniker of “Best quarterback in NFL history,” the careers of Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers often parallel one another. Despite the former boasting a hoard of personal hardware that he received throughout his 23-year career, Brady does in fact believe Rodgers to be the more physically gifted player.
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Ian O’Connor’s aptly titled biography, Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers reignited the tried and true Brady-Rodgers debate amongst fans. While there is a slew of information to be found within the confines of its pages, fans gravitated towards one section in particular.
Disclosing past conversations that were shared between Brady and various NFL coaches, the former New England Patriot is officially on the record having stated that Rodgers would have enjoyed more success had he been placed in a similar situation.
“Aaron is so much more talented than me. He’d throw for 7,000 yards every year. His ability to throw the football is unlike anyone probably in the history of the league.”
Despite the message coming directly from the horse’s mouth, fans were quick to challenge the notion that Rodgers was the more talented athlete. Favoring Super Bowls and quarterback records over arm talent, the majority of fans found themselves at odds with Brady’s assumptions.
The prevailing sentiment was one of disapproval. Seeing as Brady has nearly 100 more victories to his name, the majority of fans weren’t willing to accept the idea that Rodgers could be the more gifted signal caller.
While most were focused on the ring count, the Green Bay Packers faithful felt the need to let it be known that they were grateful for Brady’s comments.
Fans had a lot to say about the GOAT'S take on Aaron Rodgers pic.twitter.com/gc9IDzAzho
— NFL World, What's Up?? (@Whats_Up_NFL) March 18, 2025
Apart from the obvious disparity in Super Bowl wins, the individual success of Rodgers still manages to hold up when compared to Brady’s all-time resume. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneer saw 15 Pro Bowl nominations to Rodgers’ 10, however, the Green Bay legend notched one more regular season MVP award than his counterpart.
The same is also true for All-Pro nominations, with Rodgers having four. Nevertheless, it’s hard to overlook the fact that Brady holds the all-time records for career passing attempts, completions, yards, and touchdowns.
Back in 2018, Brady viewed Rodgers as an inspiration
Prior to their Week 9 matchup in the midst of the 2018 regular season, Brady admitted that he was amazed by the form of Rodgers. In an interview with local sports radio station, WEEI, Brady explained that,
“I think it’s inspiring. Even for me, I watch his game and it makes me want to get out there and practice and improve because I think he’s so phenomenal with how he manages himself in the pocket.”
While both men managed to keep the ball away from the hands of defenders that day, the end result saw Brady and co. take home a 31-17 victory as the Patriots improved to a 7-2 regular season record. Despite Rodgers’ attempt at some second-half heroics, the Packers ultimately faltered to a 3-4-1 record that day.
Given that Rodgers was unable to outshine Brady that day largely in part due to Green Bay’s roster construction, in addition to him making a few questionable throws, the loss is rather emblematic of the two QBs’ careers.
Regardless of where one may stand on the topic, the reality of the situation is that this debate will likely never be settled, even after the two future Hall of Famers are long gone.