Joe Montana snubs Tom Brady by crowning Dan Marino as the best football player of all time
Montana argues that Marino could have done wonders if he was playing today.
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Joe Montana picks Dan Marino over Tom Brady (Image via IMAGO/ Sky Sports)
When Joe Montana retired, he was widely considered to be one of the best quarterbacks of all time until Tom Brady entered the fray. But the Hall of Famer believes that neither he nor Brady are the greatest, but Dan Marino is.
The former Miami Dolphins signal-caller is undoubtedly one of the most talented football players of his generation. But he never won a Super Bowl. So why did Montana choose him over Brady? According to him, Marino used to put up numbers that are comparable to those of modern-day quarterbacks.
He cites the example of Patrick Mahomes, who last season threw for 5,250 yards and 41 touchdowns. Marino, in 1984 (his best season), passed for 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns. Montana argues that Marino managed that kind of number when the NFL was rougher and the quarterbacks were less protected.
“Put Marino into today’s game where he gets free release…and his receivers, holy cow, weren’t very big,” he told Keith Nelson of Men’s Health. “I think Marino is probably one of the unsung heroes of the game. People don’t talk enough about the numbers that he put up.”
Montana added that Marino’s ball release was something of a spectacle. He claims that not many would be able to copy that.
“[Marino] had a quick release,” the 67-year-old continued. “He had the perfect torque of his upper body and strength to deliver the ball quickly.”
Can Dan Marino really put up similar numbers in the current NFL scenario?
Both Dan Marino and Joe Montana played in an era where the defense was allowed to be more aggressive in its approach. Moreover, the turf used to be very rough compared to the artificial pitches of this era. Nevertheless, the nine-time pro bowler had the lowest sack percentage at just 3.1% in his entire NFL career. In 1988, he was sacked only six times in the entire season.
Furthermore, he led the league in passing yards five times and touchdowns on three occasions. His 48-yard touchdown season remained the best ever until Tom Brady broke it in 2007 (50) and later Peyton Manning in 2013 (50). He remains seventh on the all-time passing touchdown list (420).
Despite the overwhelming difference, it’s hard to predict whether Dan Marino will be able to achieve the same degree of consistency in modern football. But one cannot discuss the best quarterback without him in the mix.
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Ishan Misra
(3155 Articles Published)