He's the best in the regular season, the best in the post-season, and the most complete QB in the league. Even if Brady never wins another game, his legacy is secure.
The football topics of choice at water coolers everywhere heading into the NFL's conference championship weekend, other than Ray Lewis's long goodbye, is how Tom Brady's legacy would be affected by a fourth Super Bowl victory. Only Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw have won four Super Bowls as NFL quarterbacks, and with a win in Super Bowl XLVII Brady would join them. Most people say a fourth ring would make the New England Patriots' signal-caller the best quarterback of his generation, as well as one of my favorite sports clichés, "one of the greatest of all time."
But Brady's legacy is secure no matter what happens in the AFC Championship Game against the Ravens on Sunday, or in the Super Bowl two weeks later. Even if Brady never wins another game, he is the greatest quarterback in NFL history. Better than Montana. Better than Bradshaw. Better than Johnny Unitas. Better than everybody.
Brady's regular-season and postseason numbers are each singularly spectacular. In 2007, Brady put up the best statistical regular season by a QB in league history: 50 touchdowns (most all-time), eight interceptions, 4,806 yards (12th all-time), a 68.9 completion percentage (ninth all-time), a 117.2 passer rating (third all-time) and a 16-0 record. Though the Giants shocked the Pats in Super Bowl XLII, Brady's season remains the gold standard for quarterbacks.