Alex Smith Disagrees With Tom Brady, Curiously Says Quarterback Play Is At 'All-Time High' In NFL

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Future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady made news this past week when he criticized the current state of the NFL. ESPN analyst and fellow former NFL QB Alex Smith disagreed with Brady's assessment.

Then, he took it a step further and said that "quarterback play is at an all-time high" in the NFL right now. Huh?

Smith took issue with Brady's commentary on a few points. He laughed at the idea of Brady playing in a tougher era since that Patriots played "in the most uncompetitive division ... in NFL history."

Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Alex Smith disagrees with future Pro Football Hall of Famer Tom Brady on the state of quarterback play in the NFL right now.

Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Alex Smith disagrees with future Pro Football Hall of Famer Tom Brady on the state of quarterback play in the NFL right now. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

That led to some funny reaction shots of Rex Ryan, who coached in the AFC East against Brady from 2009-2016.

Then Smith declared that quarterback play is the best we've ever seen and offense is only down because defensive linemen are better than ever.

OK, so I understand what Smith is trying to say. Essentially, the top of the position is the best ever. I think that's probably true. Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen are all ridiculously talented. They're great athletes who make plays with their legs and arms.

Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts and others add a dimension to the position that didn't formerly exist.

However, the overall quarterback play is not at an all-time high. Not even close.

There are too many bad NFL quarterbacks for Alex Smith to be correct about QB play being at an "all-time high"

Take a look at the 32 starting quarterbacks in Week 12. How many truly deserve to start an NFL game at the quarterback position?

Sure, several key quarterbacks are hurt. But that's part of the problem. There's no depth at the position. One guy gets hurt and a team's season is over.

Back to the question. How many of the 32 starting quarterbacks in Week 12 should be starting at the NFL level?

I count 20. Generously.

How are there only 20 starting-caliber starting quarterbacks in the NFL? That's just over 60% of the starters in the league right now.

And some of the players aren't just not starting caliber -- they are actually terrible. Tim Boyle? Tommy DeVito? Dorian Thompson-Robinson? There is no world where these guys should be starting NFL games at quarterback.

On that basis alone, Alex Smith could not be more wrong about the current state of NFL quarterbacks.

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to OutKick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named "Brady" because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.