The GOAT Hits Milestone #300, But is it Really a Big Deal?

Today marks a historic day for NFL quarterback Tom Brady. The future Hall of Famer started his 300th regular season game today against the Dallas Cowboys. While impressive on paper, let's take a closer look at this milestone and see if it truly deserves all the hype. First off, kudos to Brady for reaching such an elite mark that no other QB has accomplished before. Starting 300 games takes dedication, durability, and sustained success over many years in a physically demanding sport. However, does starting games equate to greatness? After all, there are plenty of journeymen QBs who have started 100+ games without achieving Brady's level of excellence. One could argue that other QB stats like passing yards, touchdowns, Super Bowl wins etc. paint a clearer picture of true GOAT status. And while Brady leads the league in many categories, his 300 starts don't necessarily move the needle much on those metrics compared to his peers. Peyton Manning started 'just' 265 games and still has higher career passing numbers than Brady. Additionally, with today's NFL rules favoring offense and pass-heavy attacks, it's arguably easier for QBs to rack up stats and starts compared to decades past when defenses were more dominant and the game was more ground-oriented. So in that context, 300 games may not be as monumental an accomplishment. Lastly, while Brady is still playing at a high level, his team struggled today against a Cowboys squad missing its best player. The Bucs only won by a field goal and needed a late rally to do so. If Brady's vaunted leadership was on full display, wouldn't he have led a more dominant performance from the jump? In summary, while Tom Brady is undoubtedly one of the greatest QBs ever, his 300th start milestone feels overblown and less meaningful than it may seem at first glance. The game stats and team results are what really matter in the end.