In sports, the words “best” and “greatest” often come up when comparing players and teams, especially in this current debate format of sports talk we endure.
At the end of the day, it’s largely subjective. Everyone has and is entitled to their own opinion, but as far as who’s considered the best and greatest quarterback in the NFL, it’s long been Tom Brady. For this current generation and even one prior, BRady has been the face of quarterback supremacy. And if for nothing else, than the fact that he’s sporting seven Super Bowl rings, the most in NFL history.
Dan Marino, however, is a name that NFL heads who have been watching for more than a couple of decades immediately throw into the banter when it comes to NFL QB GOAT talk.
Recently, four-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Montana, who before Brady’s ring onslaught was widely considered the GOAT, gave the title of BOAT to another signal-caller, and one who many believe is the most talented to ever play the position from a pure passing standpoint.
Montana Calls Dan Marino Best QB Of All-Time
Montana, who went 4-0 in Super Sunday games while tossing 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions, recently told Men’s Health that the title of greatest QB often refers to most accomplished and best refers to the most talented. In that regard, Montana chose former Miami Dolphins superstar Dan Marino.
“He had a quick release. I had to step into a lot of things to get enough force on the ball,” Montana told Men’s Health.
“He had the perfect torque of his upper body and strength to deliver the ball quickly at a fast release with accuracy.”
Montana was also quick to state that Marino never winning a Super Bowl — in fact he lost his only appearance versus Montana and the Niners in 1984 — doesn’t reflect how great of a talent he was.
“Put Marino into today’s game where he gets free release … and his receivers, holy cow, weren’t very big,” Montana said.
When Marino was obliterating record books and creating a new standard of excellence for the position, he did the chunk of his early damage with two receivers shorter than 6-feet. Mark Clayton and Mark Duper aka “The Marks Brothers” would be considered Smurf-like receivers in today’s game.
“Now these guys are 6’4 and 6’5. I think Marino is one of the most unsung heroes of the game. People don’t talk enough him or realize the numbers that he put up during the times he put them up.”
Marino Was Lethal As A Passer
During his illustrious 17-year Hall of Fame career, Marino passed for over 61,000 yards, 420 touchdowns and 252 interceptions. In 1984 the former Pittsburgh Panthers star threw 48 touchdowns and became the first QB to surpass 5,000 yards passing in a single season, a mark which stood for 20 years.
Upon retirement in 1999 Marino held just about every passing record in league history. While most of those have now been broken in today’s heavy focus on quick-hitting spread offenses, Marino still ranks seventh all-time in passing touchdowns and eighth all-time in passing yards.
