Joe Montana can certainly be considered a credible source on quarterbacking in the NFL and on WFAN’s “Boomer and Carton”, the Hall of Fame quarterback gave his opinion on two NFC East QBs. If given the choice between Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys and Eli Manning of the New York Giants, his answer was simple.
“Yea, I’d definitely take Eli over Romo.”
That’s an assertion that most Giants fans would tend to agree with. Cowboys fans, not so much. Analysts would probably lean towards Romo. He’s more of a dynamic quarterback, has escapability and the edge statistically. His career passer rating is about 13 points over Manning’s. They’ve both been to four Pro Bowls.
Durability should also be put on the table. Romo has missed over 26 games in his career while Manning has barely missed a snap. Availability has been a strength of Manning’s and the Giants haven’t seen a season derailed by quarterback injury.
And then there’s two Super Bowl championships and two Super Bowl MVPs in Manning’s favor. The argument stops and ends there for most football fans. If your starting quarterback can deliver two Super Bowls over the course of a decade, you would only consider another quarterback with more under his belt.
Montana has more credibility than most weighing in on this debate, so his opinion should have some merit. It won’t change the minds of either fanbase, but for those who constantly see Manning’s name omitted lists of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, it provides some comfort that a Hall of Famer believes otherwise.