>>149838522
https://www.kerrybyrne.com/2022/02/04/january-2005-the-prophetic-brady-is-the-best-story-that-shocked-the-football-world/
https://x.com/TomBradyDaily/status/1719829481941090342
Brady was regularly called the best QB in the league (including by John Madden) by 2004. The debate was mostly between him and Peyton Manning. Monster stats guy who chokes in the playoff with an elite offensive supporting cast vs very good stats guy with middling or lower third of the league offensive supporting cast with a better defense and better playoff performances.
How can we get a glimpse into the "feeling" of the time? Other than what I have already provided you, we can look at Madden. Madden ratings obviously don't mean much, but they offer a glimpse into the zeitgeist of the era. In other words exactly what you are referring to, how good was he "considered" not how good he actually was.
Recall here that if the title is Madden N, then it was released in the beginning of the N-1 season. So for example Madden 2005 was released in the beginning of the 2004 NFL season. With that in mind
>Madden 2005 (released in August of 2004, i.e. at the START of the 2004 regular season)
Peyton Manning - 97
Steve McNair - 96`
Tom Brady - 95
McNabb - 95
Favre - 94
>Madden 2006
Peyton Manning - 99
Daunte Culpepper - 98
Tom Brady - 97
McNabb - 97
Favre - 93
Vick - 92
>Madden 2007 (recall, this would have been published in August of 2006)
Peyton Manning - 99
Tom Brady - 98
>Madden 2008 (recall, this would have been published in August of 2007)
Tom Brady - 99
Peyton Manning - 99
Carson Palmer - 95
>Madden 2009
Tom Brady - 99
Peyton Manning - 99
What can we summise from this? Brady was considered an elite top 3 QB by the beginning of the 2004 season, and by 2005 he was considered a top 2 QB (in addition to an all-time great). What 2007 did is catapult him from all time great, to "probably the GOAT". Had he won the SB, he would have been considered the GOAT by the conclusion of the 2007 season.