Richard Sherman Doesn't Include Tom Brady on List of Smartest NFL QBs

Maybe Richard Sherman has Tom Brady's SAT scores.

That's the only reason you could think of that would prompt the Seattle Seahawks cornerback to not list the star among the top five smartest quarterbacks in the league.

Writing for Sports Illustrated's The MMQB, Sherman analyzed whom he thought were the most intelligent players at the position. The list had plenty of names you'd expect, like Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Andrew Luck.

Notable in his absence was Brady, whom Sherman ranked as sixth:

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It is what it is. If this were a top 6, he’d be in there. Tom Brady is one of the hardest to intercept and still has one of the best arms in the league, but this was the year the young guys took a step forward.

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Brady at least had it a little better than Manning, of whom Sherman wrote, "His arm, however, is another story. His passes will be accurate and on time, but he throws ducks."

You wouldn't expect anything less of Sherman, and you also have to take into account the history that he and Brady have with one another. Cornerbacks and quarterbacks naturally have adversarial relationships, but these two have taken it to the next level.

It's not enough that they're two of the best at their respective positions. They have built what has become a professional rivalry, and Sherman likely saw this as an opportunity to dig the knife in a bit.

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Things hit a head after the Seahawks beat the Patriots 24-23 in Week 6 in 2012. After the game, Sherman made sure to track down Brady and let him know who had won. Their encounter became one of the lasting images of the 2012 season.

During the postgame interview, Sherman said, via The News Tribune's Ryan Divish:

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I kept saying I’m going to get that next time. Every TV timeout, I went up and said it right to (Brady): ‘Please keep trying me. I’m going to take it from you.’ That was when they were winning. He just gave me that look and said, ‘Oh, I’ll see you after game.’ Well, I made sure I saw him after the game.

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Of course, if Sherman wasn't any good, nobody would care what he had to say. Instead, he's arguably the best corner in the league. According to Pro Football Focus, opposing QBs had the lowest rating in the league when throwing his way.

One can only hope that New England and Seattle meet in the Super Bowl. Who knows what Sherman might have to say then?