Tony Dungy has seen the light, and he finally came to a realization that is already universally known: Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback to ever set foot on the gridiron. Dungy did so during the NBC broadcast of Brady’s first playoff game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Following a 35-yard completion to wide receiver Mike Evans in the fourth quarter of the Buccaneers’ 31-23 win over the Washington Football Team, he said the following:
Right on the money, with pressure in his face. That’s why Tom Brady is the GOAT.
Dungy and Brady do have quite a history together, being central figures in the rivalry between the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots in the early 2000s. While Brady and the Patriots won most of the matchups, and most importantly led 3-1 in Super Bowl win, the battles always were close with major playoff implications on the line each time.
Another key player in this rivalry was former Colts QB Peyton Manning, an all-time great like Brady — just not the all-time great. Dungy, however, continued to see Brady’s status differently: in 2017 he ranked Brady as the sixth best quarterback since 1978 on an ESPN list, and just earlier this season also said Brady was just the sixth hardest QB to defend.
A few weeks later, however, he finally acknowledged his rightful status as the greatest to ever do it.