Brett Favre Praises Tom Brady Amid Criticism, Rumors of Patriots Future

As Tom Brady considers his next move, he still has one major fan in Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre. Brady's numbers declined dramatically in 2019, but Favre believes he's still one of the top passers in the game.

"I felt like his game had not declined one bit," he told TMZ Sports. "...I hear lots of people, so-called experts, say that his age is catching up with him. I didn't see that. I saw a quarterback still able to do what he normally does, but the cast around him was not up to par."

Brady finished the season with an 88.0 quarterback rating, his lowest since 2013, while the 6.6 yards per attempt marked his lowest average since 2002, his second year as a full-time starter. Though the New England Patriots went 12-4 during the regular season, the team lost in the Wild Card Round after eight straight years of at least reaching the AFC Championship Game.

Despite the disappointing year, Favre didn't see any decline in arm strength or other physical tools.

"His game is as good as it's ever been," he said.

Brady, 42, has spent his entire career in New England but is a free agent and is expected to test the waters. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the Patriots will pay "in excess of $30 million" to keep him, but the Las Vegas Raiders could pursue him on the open market, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

A move to a new team would follow the career path of Favre, who spent 16 years with the Green Bay Packers before playing into his 40s with the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets. He earned two Pro Bowl selections after leaving Green Bay, taking the Vikings to the NFC title game in 2009.

As Favre explained to TMZ, he followed the path of Joe Montana (who joined the Kansas City Chiefs after a long career with the San Francisco 49ers), getting a "renewed excitement" when he switched organizations.

The same could happen with Brady, who is trying to add to a resume that already includes six Super Bowl titles and three regular-season MVPs.