Tom Brady returns favor, praises Aaron Rodgers ahead of NFC title game

First it was Aaron Rodgers heaping praise on Tom Brady ahead of Sunday’s showdown between the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game. On Friday, Brady returned the favor.

The two superstar quarterbacks famously have engaged in a mutual admiration society for years. With Sunday’s NFC title game featuring one of the best head-to-head quarterback showdowns in NFL postseason history, much of the attention has been focused on the Brady-Rodgers angle.

When asked about facing Rodgers, Brady could not help but gush about the Packers quarterback’s talent.

“He basically does everything well. He’s got great command and experience,” Brady said of Rodgers, per Scott Smith, senior writer/editor for the Bucs’ official site. “He obviously throws the ball as well as any quarterback, gets rid of the ball quickly. It’s a big test and we’re [gonna] have to play great football to beat him.”

Earlier this week, Rodgers praised Brady, saying he’s “been a fan” of the Bucs quarterback “for a long time.” It goes without saying that the two superstars have an incredible amount of respect for one another.

Rodgers and Brady obviously are among the greatest quarterbacks ever to play the game, if not the two greatest. While Brady of course has an enormous edge in championships, Rodgers arguably has the superior overall talent and skill set.

Now comes Sunday’s marquee matchup between Brady and Rodgers in the NFC title game. Interestingly enough, Rodgers predicted a postseason showdown with Brady following the Bucs’ blowout win over the Packers earlier this season.