Ryan Clark Drops Shocking Revelation About NFL’s ‘Generational’ Quarterbacks—You Won’t Believe Who Made the Cut!

So, Ryan Clark just dropped a bombshell that’s got the NFL grapevine buzzing—and trust me, it’s not your everyday hot take. Imagine telling the world that Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees aren’t actually “generational talents.” Say what?! At first glance, it seems downright blasphemous, right? But stick with me here—Clark, who’s no stranger to stirring the pot since hanging up his cleats, isn’t dissing their legendary careers; he’s poking at what defines true genetic freak-level talent versus masterful craft honed over time. And while that twist might ruffle a few feathers, it opens up a fascinating debate: when it comes to greatness, is it pure physical prowess that counts—or the gritty, under-the-radar brilliance we sometimes overlook? Buckle up, this one’s gonna make you rethink everything you thought you knew about NFL legends.

Ryan Clark has become one of the most respected, insightful, and headline-inducing members of sports media ever since he retired from the NFL, and he certainly made plenty of headlines on Thursday morning’s episode of First Take.

Clark touched on a topic he recently expounded on during an episode of his podcast, in which he explained why Texas quarterback Arch Manning isn’t a generational talent, but it’s the expansion on that topic that got him a lot of pushback online afterwards.

Clark struck a nerve when he said Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees weren’t generational talents, much to the surprise of fellow analyst Dan Orlovsky.

“I think John Elway was a generational talent. I think Patrick Mahomes is a generational talent. I don’t think Tom Brady, I don’t think Drew Brees, I don’t think Peyton Manning are generational talents. I think Andrew Luck ended up being a generational talent. I don’t think there’s a ton of them out there,” Clark said.

"I don't think Tom Brady, I don't think Drew Brees, I don't think Peyton Manning are generational talents." – Ryan Clark pic.twitter.com/sTgNQXxfBY

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 4, 2025

This is one of those jaw-dropping takes that sounds insane when you first hear it, but once you let it sit for a little while, you start to understand what he is saying.

Brady was a sixth-round pick out of college, while Brees was a second-rounder, so there’s not much case to be made that either of them was a generational talent out of college.

Manning was a first overall pick, but he struggled mightily as a rookie and took a while to develop the mental aspect of the game that eventually became his calling card as an all-time great quarterback.

Clark is alluding to the fact that all three of these QBs didn’t have the obvious physical traits that you’d associate with generational quarterback talent, which is not to discredit what they accomplished or how surgical they were as passers.

Brady, Manning, and Brees became generational talents in non-physical ways, while players like Patrick Mahomes and Andrew Luck were praised as generational talents due to their exceptional physical abilities.

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