The debate has raged on since Tom Brady helped engineer a comeback for the ages in Super Bowl LI: Is Brady the greatest of all time?

One of Peyton Manning’s former receivers thinks so. Reggie Wayne, now working for NFL Network, allowed fellow panelists Michael Robinson and Ike Taylor weigh in on their thoughts on Brady and the GOAT title. They both said Brady was the best, and Taylor said he was the best overall player he’s seen.

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Then Wayne chimed in with his ringing endorsement of Brady.

We wonder what Peyton Manning thinks about Reggie Wayne saying Tom Brady was the GOAT?(AP) More

“Man, you know I’ve played with one of the best,” Wayne said of Peyton Manning and their 11 seasons together with the Indianapolis Colts (not counting the 2012 season Manning missed). “… I go down on the ship with [Manning]. But it’s kind of hard to take that (title) away from Tom Brady, man. This dude’s résumé speaks for itself.

“I was quoted last week saying, ‘If he finds a way to win this game, he’s probably the best ever.’ And not only did he win the game it’s the fashion, the way in which he did it. Down 25 points? Come on, man. He set [all-time] records in the Super Bowl.”

It’s a question not easily — or fairly — answered in the afterglow of a historic performance, and we often will have an immediacy bias that clouds our vision anytime we discuss these grand, all-encompassing debates. But as our own Frank Schwab argued prior to Sunday, Brady didn’t need a victory to cement that title.

So maybe Wayne is right. And heck, maybe even Manning agrees with Wayne. (Or maybe he’s now removed Wayne from his Christmas card list, who knows?) After all, it’s not like there’s a heck of a lot for the counterargument to Brady being the best, although some contrarians have tried. But it’s fascinating to see a player such as Wayne, who spent more than a decade trying to beat the Patriots and perhaps someone who once felt differently, to come to Brady’s side of the argument.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!

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