Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana is often included among the greatest at the position in NFL history with his stellar 4-0 record in Super Bowls. Quarterback ‘Mount Rushmore’ groups often name him alongside the likes of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and John Elway.
Super Bowl-winning coach Bruce Arians asked Montana which three current quarterbacks he’d start a franchise with today if he were general manager or head coach. The lone caveat was that he couldn’t pick San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, whom Montana has been an outspoken supporter of.
‘I’m thinking I’m taking the guy in Buffalo,’ Montana said, in reference to reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen. ‘Obviously Joe Burrow, another guy I like a lot. And believe it or not, I like the guy with the Chargers, Justin Herbert. I think they’ve just kind of, kind of gone by the wayside there… I just like the way those three guys are.
I also like the guy in [Philadelphia],’ he added, in reference to Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts.
Arians said he was surprised Montana didn’t include Patrick Mahomes.
‘I think I would’ve if he was younger,’ Montana explained. ‘Although they’re not getting hit as much today so they’d probably play forever so I should’ve added Patrick in there.’
Mahomes turns 30 later this month and is older than the quarterbacks Montana mentioned. Allen is 29, Herbert is 27, Burrow will turn 29 in December and Hurts is 27. But Montana also omitted Lamar Jackson who is 28 and the only other active quarterback besides Mahomes with multiple MVP awards before his 30th birthday.
‘I think for us it states how well we are in the National Football League right now with quarterbacks,’ Arians said. ‘We’ve got some really great young quarterbacks in the league right now and I think the league’s in great shape.’
