GOAT QB Joe Montana. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Lawrence Taylor names Joe Montana greatest QB of all time over Tom Brady

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 2/7/23

Add New York Giants legend Lawrence Taylor to the list of people not naming Tom Brady the greatest quarterback of all time this winter.

As shared by Hunter Hodies of The Spun, Taylor said during an appearance on the "I Am Athlete" podcast that he'd take Hall of Famer Joe Montana over Brady largely because of when the signal-callers played.

"Joe Montana is still my man," Taylor explained. "The greatest quarterback ever? I’m still with Joe Montana. I'm not going with Tom Brady."

Taylor added that "Tom Brady (has) got all the rules on his side" and that defensive players "can't touch" top-tier quarterbacks such as Brady without earning penalties during games:

Joe Montana > Tom Brady

‘the greatest quarterback ever? i’m still with Joe Montana. Tom Brady got all the rules on his side.’ — Lawrence Taylor (@LT_56) pic.twitter.com/F4dSCdUjo8
— Ashley Nicole Moss (@AshNicoleMoss) February 7, 2023

Taylor is merely the latest retired NFL player to suggest modern quarterbacks have much easier paths to success than starters from previous eras.

During a wild-card playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers last month, Hall of Fame defensive back and current Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders yelled about a "ridiculous" roughing-the-passer call. More recently, Super Bowl champion Trent Dilfer said during the ESPN "Bullies of Baltimore" 30 for 30 documentary that playing quarterback in 2023 is "super easy" for individuals such as Brady and Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers because defensive players are handcuffed by league rules.

Last week, sports radio icon Mike Francesa repeated his take that Peyton Manning is the greatest regular-season quarterback in history and Montana is the best Super Bowl quarterback. Francesa has often pointed out that Montana went a perfect 4-0 in his Super Bowl starts, while Brady logged a 7-3 record in title contests.

According to Pro-Football-Reference, Montana's 127.8 career passer rating in Super Bowl games is the best in history. Brady is eighth on the list with a 97.7 career Super Bowl passer rating. Of course, Brady retired last week holding numerous other Super Bowl records, including the most championship rings possessed by one player.

Nevertheless, it appears the Montana-versus-Brady G.O.A.T. debate isn't quieting down anytime soon.

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