Curran: In GOAT debate, always remember Brady's ‘insane' durability

Curran: In GOAT debate, always remember Brady's ‘insane' durability originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are two of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. But in the "greatest of all time" debate, the former New England Patriots quarterback has the edge in two major categories.

The first, of course, is Super Bowl titles. Brady has seven (six with New England) to Rodgers' one with the Green Bay Packers.

The second: durability. Brady's torn ACL in 2008 was the only injury to sideline him during his legendary 23-year career. Rodgers, while mostly durable since entering the NFL in 2005, has missed chunks of multiple seasons due to injuries.

The latest setback for Rodgers is the most significant. Four plays into his debut with the New York Jets on Monday night, the 39-year-old suffered a full tear of his left Achilles tendon, ending his season.

As our Tom E. Curran put it, Rodgers' injury is a firm reminder of Brady's ability to stay healthy throughout his two-plus decades in the league. He shared his take on Tuesday's Quick Slants.

"The AFC East has been thrown into utter chaos thanks to the injury to Aaron Rodgers," Curran said. "You’re a Patriots fan. But you’re also a football fan. So you have a little bit of humanity. So that jumble of conflicting sentiments you’ve got going on is understandable. Your team’s road to success for your team just got less bumpy. Yay! But you wanted to see how the Aaron Rodgers Experience would play out in New York. That's not gonna happen. Boo.

"And an all-time great is on ice. That sucks. Now we’re watching an NFL without Rodgers or Tom Brady. It’s jarring. And when we get to the GOAT discussion, always remember and never forget the insane and incomprehensible level of durability that Brady showed compared to the other guys up on that list of the all-time greats."

With Rodgers out, the Jets will once again rely on 2021 second-overall draft pick Zach Wilson to lead the charge. New York went 5-4 with Wilson as a starter last year.

As for how the Rodgers injury impacts the Patriots, it could lead to two additional wins. New England was set to enter its two matchups against the Rodgers-led Jets as the underdog. Now, it should be favored for both games.

The Patriots will take on another AFC East foe, the Miami Dolphins, next Sunday night. They'll meet Wilson and the Jets in Week 3.

Watch the full episode of Quick Slants below: