Ryan Fitzpatrick, one of the smartest players to play in the NFL, listed former Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning as the “greatest quarterback to ever live” in a recent interview with ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Fitzpatrick, a Havard grad, also listed still-playing Tom Brady as “the greatest champion.” It’s a fair assessment since Brady has seven Super Bowl rings to Manning’s two. But many a fan may question Fitzpatrick touting Manning as the greatest QB to ever live. Debate with your group-chat, though. Fitzpatrick doesn’t care.
“My favorite quarterback that I got to go against, though, was Peyton Manning. Peyton had the laser focus and everything else,” Fitzpatrick said on The Adam Schefter Podcast. “I think Peyton’s the greatest quarterback to ever live. I do. And I think Tom Brady is the greatest champion. But I do think Peyton Manning’s the greatest quarterback to ever live.”
Fitzpatrick and Schefter start talking about Manning and Brady around the 52-minute mark of the hour-plus podcast episode. Proving why he is one of the best journalists in the world, Schefter, 55, cuts through the surface level with Fitzpatrick and asks why he said Manning is the greatest. To the delight of Broncos County.
“Everything that, that dude [Manning] did, he just did [it] with so much intent,” Fitzpatrick said. “And he changed the game with how he approached it from the mental side, with all the things they were doing in [Indianapolis with the Colts]. I’m sure you were able to see or remember the games at the RCA Dome when it was so quiet when he was on offense and so loud when they were on defense. … He was the most impressive [quarterback] I saw.”
Fitzpatrick retired earlier this offseason. He played for nine teams during his 17-year career. Although he guided the New York Jets to a 10-6 season alongside former Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall under then-coach Todd Bowles, Fitzpatrick never started a playoff game. While wins are a debated QB stat, he finished his career with a 59-87-1 record. Check out Fitzpatrick’s appearance on The Adam Schefter Podcast.
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