Dwight Freeney says Tom Brady was one of the toughest NFL QBs for him to sack

Dwight Freeney sacked dozens of different NFL quarterbacks throughout his 16-year NFL career, primarily spent with the Indianapolis Colts. So when the soon-to-be Hall of Famer was asked by Keyshawn Johnson on Johnson's podcast, "All Facts No Brakes," who were among the toughest quarterbacks for him to sack in his career, Freeney said his top choice would surprise some people.

"Tom Brady wasn't easy," Freeney said. "And the reason is because of how, from a system standpoint, they were getting rid of the ball in under two seconds. They knew the strength of our defense, and they knew what was going on. They said, 'Look, I don't care if you're open or not, receiver, this ball is coming out.'

"I think when you're playing against a guy like that, you better have your best move. And even if you have your best move dialed up, and you win on your best move, you still may not get there. It becomes very frustrating as a pass-rusher because you understand that this ball will not be in this man's hand because he does not want to get sacked. I think he's probably you know, one of the most underrated from that standpoint. People don't talk about it enough."

Freeney was often lined up opposite Brady's offensive line during the height of the rivalry between Brady's New England Patriots and Freeney's Colts, which also featured another legendary quarterback in Peyton Manning. Brady and Manning were regarded as two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and often pitted against each from Brady's first Super Bowl title in 2001 through Manning's retirement in 2016. 

Brady, of course, went on to win three more Super Bowls and solidify his status as the greatest NFL quarterback ever before retiring for good in 2023. He will start his next career