Jim Harbaugh: Tom Brady has ‘lapped the field’ in NFL ‘GOAT’ conversation

Jim Harbaugh is a major backer of Tom Brady.

Harbaugh spoke with National Review’s Jay Nordlinger Friday for an interview that has gained attention due to Harbaugh sharing his view on abortion. Also in the conversation, the two old friends talked about sports, as expected. One topic had to do with Brady, who played quarterback at Michigan in college, which is where Harbaugh also played and is now the head coach.

Harbaugh heaped praised upon Brady, saying the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback has separated himself in the conversation for greatest player of all time (GOAT).

“No doubt about that – he’s the greatest of all time in football. And I think he’s pretty much lapped the field in my opinion,” Harbaugh told Nordlinger.

Brady wasn’t as highly regarded in college as he became in the NFL and even split time with Drew Henson. But Harbaugh believes Brady, who went 20-5 as a starter and won two bowl games, was a winner back in college.

“I’ve talked to a lot of people who knew him when he was here and they won,” Harbaugh said. “They won games when he started. He was in a quarterback competition; I think it was Drew Henson was a phenom quarterback who came in as a freshman and Tom was an upperclassman. They were splitting time. But Tom won big games and was drafted in the sixth round, was very famously a late-round pick but became the greatest of all time.”

If Brady were more highly regarded, he would have gone much higher in the NFL Draft than No. 199 overall in the sixth round. But after he took over for Drew Bledsoe, it didn’t take him long to prove how good he is. Now 20 years later, he’s won more Super Bowls than any player in history (six) and is attempting to show that even at 43 in August, he can still play at a high level. And Harbaugh knows from experience how good Brady is.