Evaluating quarterbacks over the course of multiple decades is one of the most difficult and complex ways to look at the game. Times have certainly changed in the NFL, and the style of quarterback play has seen tremendous change. That’s part of the reason Chris Simms has trouble evaluating the career of one of the most accomplished quarterbacks the game has seen in Terry Bradshaw.
“Terry Bradshaw is interesting,” Simms said Monday on his Unbuttoned podcast. “Damn, I mean, four Super Bowls, two MVPs. But it’s the Steel Curtain defense. Early in the career, they ran the ball, played very balanced, and wasn’t really relying on him. And so that’s where I struggle with that a little bit, I really do. Sitting here right now, I would go, it’s not top-10. So I guess I’m going to cancel out Terry Bradshaw.”
Simms was in the process of narrowing down his all-time quarterbacks list to the top-10, and Bradshaw didn’t make the cut. On paper, Bradshaw certainly has the accolades to have an argument. After being the first overall pick back in 1970, Bradshaw put together an outstanding career. He finished with four Super Bowl wins on his resume. Bradshaw was also named the Super Bowl MVP in the latter two wins against Dallas and Los Angeles.
But he certainly had some talent to work with, which Simms uses against him. Bradshaw, of course, had an incredible defense helping him out. And it didn’t hurt to hand the ball off to Franco Harris for most of Bradshaw’s career as well.
The quarterbacks Simms ranked over Terry Bradshaw included Johnny Unitas, Roger Staubach, Joe Montana, John Elway, Dan Marino, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. Of course, there was one other quarterback Steelers fans will know quite well.
“For right now, I would definitely put [Aaron] Rodgers on,” Simms said. “I’m gonna give Rodgers the edge.”
Comparing the careers of Bradshaw and Aaron Rodgers might offer us the most glaring example of how different the position has become. For example, Terry Bradshaw’s MVP season saw him lead the league in touchdowns, with 28. But he also threw 20 interceptions, completed 56.3 percent of his passes, and had a passer rating of 84.7. For contrast, Rodgers’ final MVP season in 2021 saw him throw 37 touchdowns and four interceptions, while he completed 68.9-percent of his attempts, and had a passer rating of 111.9.
Statistically, Bradshaw’s 212 career touchdowns and 210 interceptions won’t look as good as some quarterbacks today. But the game has changed so much that it’s hard to even make a fair comparison. Bradshaw played during an extremely physical era in the NFL. He’d be the first to tell you, players from his time might not compete at the same level in today’s NFL. It’s also fair to say that today’s quarterbacks certainly might not survive in Bradshaw’s NFL.
There are few players in NFL history who can hold a candle to the accolades Terry Bradshaw earned during his time. But to Simms, it’s not quite enough to consider him one of the 10 best quarterbacks to play the game.
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