Salisbury: Brady not only the best QB, but best NFL player ever

As perhaps one of the best championships in the history of the NFL is digested and recounted, Super Bowl 51, and its players and coaches, have been pored over from the angle of historical perspective.

At least 30 NFL records were broken Sunday, including the New England Patriots completing the single-largest comeback in Super Bowl history, coming back from a 25-point deficit.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick became the first coach to win five Super Bowls, tying Vince Lombardi and George Halas for the most total championships.

Tom Brady also earned his fifth Super Bowl win, the most by any starting quarterback in NFL history. Not to mention he broke Super Bowl passing records for attempts (62), completions (43), and yards (466).

But it was how Brady became the winningest quarterback in Super Bowl history, seemingly willing his team to victory despite a bleak outlook late in the game, that sets the Patriots quarterback on another level, Sean Salisbury said Monday.

Salisbury, of SBNation and ESPN Houston, told 104.3 The Fan’s Sandy Clough that much like Jerry Rice’s name is synonymous with the best receiver of all time so is Brady’s at quarterback.

“It’s just the same as when we say who’s the best receiver of all time we mention one name: Jerry Rice.  And now, with all due respect to Elway and Montana and the rest of them, it’s now Tom Brady,” Salisbury said.

But even beyond that, winning five Super Bowls, especially in the fashion in which he did Sunday, makes Brady the best NFL player all time, Salisbury said.

“When you consider what he’s done, how he’s done it, who he’s done it with, and how many time’s he’s done it, Tom Brady’s the best football player we’ve ever had,” Salisbury said.

And, obviously, his teammates agree.

“He just showed you. If you don’t think he’s the best, then you’re stupid,” Patriots safety Patrick Chung said after the game Sunday.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.