There’s no doubt that the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers were among the greatest teams in NFL history. They were loaded, with Hall of Fame talent in almost every corner of their building. That included Terry Bradshaw, their franchise quarterback. While the Steelers were mostly known for their dominant defense, Bradshaw made their offense formidable as well. However, former NFL linebacker Lofa Tatupu doesn’t believe Bradshaw was that great, criticizing his inclusion in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“He’s got like 219 picks and 219 touchdowns,” Tatupu said recently on his All Day podcast. “Did he really have to do that much? So he played the best in the biggest game. You know what? Cool.”
It’s true that Bradshaw’s stats aren’t phenomenal. He does have 212 career touchdown passes and 210 interceptions. Today, those wouldn’t exactly be Hall of Fame numbers. However, context is extremely important when assessing Bradshaw’s career.
Bradshaw entered the league in 1970, an era when throwing the football was not a common focal point of most offenses. In fact, Bradshaw only attempted over 400 passes in a season twice. Compare that to Ben Roethlisberger, who accomplished that feat 14 times. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. The game has changed so drastically that it’s unfair to judge Bradshaw based on today’s standards.
During that same episode, Tatupu continued explaining why he doesn’t place much stock into Bradshaw’s status as an all-time great.
“I’ve got the utmost respect for all Hall of Famers, but you’ve got the fucking Steel Curtain,” he said. “Come on. I could’ve played quarterback.”
Tatupu might say he has respect for Bradshaw but discrediting the quarterback’s legacy because of his teammates feels disrespectful. Yes, Bradshaw was fortunate enough to play with arguably the greatest defense in NFL history. It wasn’t like he was just riding their coattails, though.
It’s fair to say the Steelers wouldn’t have won four Super Bowls without their ferocious defense. However, Bradshaw was a key component as well. He was named Super Bowl MVP twice. Early in his career, the Steelers might have relied more on Franco Harris and the Steel Curtain, but in his later years, Bradshaw developed into one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
It’s not like he didn’t perform in the regular season either. Bradshaw was named regular season MVP in 1978, the last Steeler to win the award. He also called his own plays, which goes to show how different his era was. Being the quarterback and offensive coordinator would be insane today. For Bradshaw, that was just the way things were done.
Although Tatupu might scoff at Bradshaw’s inclusion in the Hall of Fame, his resumé speaks for itself. He’s one of only three starting quarterbacks to win four or more Super Bowls. The other two entries on that list are Tom Brady and Joe Montana. Bradshaw might not be the greatest of all time, but he is an all-time great.
