Indianapolis Colts legend Peyton Manning isn’t still putting on his pads on NFL Sundays anymore, but his status as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time is undeniable, or so we thought. Now, one prominent ESPN analyst is saying that Manning, and also Tom Brady, for that matter, isn’t a generational talent.
“I think John Elway was a generational talent. I think Patrick Mahomes is a generational talent,” ESPN’s Ryan Clark said, per Awful Announcing. “I don’t think Tom Brady, I don’t think Drew Brees, I don’t think Peyton Manning are generational talents. I think Andrew Luck ended up being a generational talent, I don’t think there’s a ton of them out there.”
It’s certainly a hot take, especially considering Clark played against both as a former defensive back in the NFL himself.
Fans reacted to the bold statement on social media.
“Bet he thinks Lamar Jackson is a generational talented QB though lol,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“Actually, all three are generational talents. You’ve got the number one quarterback of all time in that group. You’ve got arguably the number two quarterback of all time in that group. And you’ve got arguably a top five quarterback of all time in that group. Generational,” one fan added.
“We need to normalize saying the mental intangibles like drive for greatness, willpower, intelligence, processing power and memory IS a talent If your criteria for generational talents doesn’t include the people who dominated a generation, you’re fundamentally doing it wrong,” someone else added.
Generational or not, it’s hard to argue against Manning’s accomplishments.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.