GOAT Gone: Who's Washington's Tom Brady?

Tom Brady calls it quits after 22 years. Who is Washington Football Team's version of the GOAT?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady officially retired Tuesday morning in a lengthy statement posted to his Twitter account.

❤️ pic.twitter.com/B3KKl7DFk3

— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) February 1, 2022

Brady spent 22 seasons in the NFL (20 with the New England Patriots and two with the Bucs), winning seven Super Bowl titles, three league MVP awards and setting numerous quarterback records likely to never be broken.

That being said, who is Washington's version of Brady? Their franchise GOAT?

While the Washington franchise hasn't enjoyed the same amount of success as Brady, there is one player whose career also celebrates the "iron man" mentality Brady had and competed at an elite level well beyond many people's expectations.

© Kim Klement | 2021 Jan 3

© Kim Klement | 2021 Jan 3

That would be Hall of Fame cornerback Darrell Green.

Like Brady, Green's career spanned three decades and set multiple franchise records in the process.

Green was drafted by Washington in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft, the year following the franchise's first Super Bowl title. He entered the starting lineup immediately and became a Pro Bowler in just his second year.

By 1987, Green was a three-time Pro Bowler and starter on a Super Bowl champion.

In 1991, at age 31, Green had the best season of his career. He recorded 79 tackles and five interceptions to be named first-team All-Pro for the first time. It seemed after 1991 that Green's career had taken a bit of a dive, especially after suffering an injury in 1992, but Green's late 30s saw him take a dip into the Fountain of Youth.

In 1996 and 1997, at age 36 and 37, Green made his sixth and seventh Pro Bowl, proving that players can still be at an elite level well into their careers.

After his final Pro Bowl appearance in 1997, Green still played five more seasons with Washington at a very competitive level. He retired in 2002 after 20 seasons with the team.

Although Green doesn't have the same level of accolades as Brady, their careers do hold some similarities.

Many people are questioning why Brady would hang up his cleats now when he's only a year removed from a Super Bowl title and is still playing at an elite level. If he were to come out of retirement, he'd be considered as one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

The same might have been true for Green.

On his 50th birthday, Green ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds. To put that in perspective, Washington rookie Benjamin St-Juste ran a 4.5-at the NFL Combine last season. No knock on St-Juste, but Green is an ageless wonder and Washington's version of the GOAT.