“I don’t know if there’s a club,’’ Montana says. “Terry and I don’t sit around talking about that, but I think it’s great for him. Tom’s had a great career and the thing with him is, he’s still got enough age on him that he can probably get back here another time or two. So it’ll be fun to watch him.’’
Whether Brady earns a ring for his only unadorned finger — he came agonizingly close against the Giants four years ago in the Arizona desert — he’s already all but certain to join Montana and Bradshaw in the Hall of Fame. New York counterpart Eli Manning figures that Brady already has earned his bust and so does Montana, who was enshrined a dozen years ago.
“Oh, yeah, long before this,’’ he said. “You’ve got guys who’ve done not anywhere near what he’s accomplished and made it to the Hall of Fame. So obviously he’s well past that.’’
Brady’s career numbers (3,397 completions for 39,979 yards, 300 touchdowns and a 96.4 rating) are similar to or better than Montana’s (3,409 for 40,551 and 273 and 92.3) in three fewer seasons. And while their playing styles are decidedly different, they share the character traits that win titles — competitiveness, preparedness, composure, and an instinct for the jugular. “They’re assassins,’’ says former Giant quarterback Phil Simms, who was the Most Valuable Player in the Super Bowl XXI victory over Denver.
Brady, who has engineered 34 comeback triumphs in the fourth quarter to Montana’s 31, crafted two unforgettable title drives, leading his mates to Adam Vinatieri’s winning field goal over the Rams in the final 90 seconds with no timeouts, then taking them again into Vinatieri range against the Panthers in the final 68 seconds.
