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Ryan Fitzpatrick is now retired and like most stars, he decided against going quietly into the sunset. On his way out the door, he stopped by the Adam Schefter podcast and dropped some bombs. He discussed several topics, including who he saw as the greatest quarterback of all time.
He conceded that Tom Brady was the greatest champion of all-time, but Peyton Manning was the greatest quarterback in the NFL. Here's how he put it:
“But my my favorite quarterback that I got to play against was Peyton Manning, I mean, he had that laser focus and everything else and but I think Peyton is the greatest quarterback to ever live."
Fitzpatrick continued, lauding the quarterback's intentionality with every action:
"I do. And I think Tom Brady's the greatest champion, but I do think Peyton Manning's the greatest quarterback ever. I think every everything that that he did was [done with] so much intent…."
Fitzpatrick went on to explain how he changed the game from a psychological aspect:
"And he changed the game with how he approached it from the mental side with all the things they were doing in the you know how 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."
Fitzpatrick continued, outlining how he taught fans to be quiet when he was on offense and loud when the defense was on the field:
"[And it was] so loud, when they're out there on defense, but to have control and command every aspect of the game like he did, he was the most impressive by himself.”
What Ryan Fitzpatrick saw in Peyton Manning's career
While Peyton Manning doesn't have the same number of Super Bowls as Tom Brady, he had the edge in statistics. Of course, the Buccaneers quarterback eventually passed him in total stats, but the Broncos and Colts quarterback outpaced him by a wide margin when both still played.
The quarterback still has the record for the greatest number of touchdown passes thrown in a season and is credited for leading the most productive offense in NFL history in 2013. Manning was the first quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two separate teams.
In total, Manning was 186-79 in his career. He threw for 539 touchdowns and 251 interceptions. He played in 27 playoff games, going 14-13 and winning two Super Bowls. He played in four Super Bowls and won the Super Bowl as his last performance before retiring after the 2015 NFL season.
