Tom Brady's bold Packers prediction puts the rest of the NFC on notice

Tom Brady is on a path to forgiveness from Green Bay Packers fans.

He had no business showing up in the NFC, crushing the Packers' dreams in the NFC Championship Game, and then retiring as many times as Brett Favre. OK, it's still taking time to get over that heartbreaking playoff loss.

This season, Brady enters the broadcast booth.

Before beginning his new journey, he spoke to Stephen A. Smith at Fanatics Fest in a fascinating hour-long interview. They covered many topics, including Brady's take on why rookie quarterbacks shouldn't start immediately in the NFL and need time to develop. Sound familiar?

Brady's comments about Super Bowl contenders should interest Packers fans the most.

Tom Brady names Packers as one of the teams to challenge the Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs became the team to beat the moment Patrick Mahomes walked into the building. They have only lost three of 18 playoff games with Mahomes, and two of those defeats were to Brady's teams. The Chiefs have won back-to-back Super Bowls, but they will face competition this season.

Stephen A. Smith asked Brady a clear question: Who is going to be the No. 1 threat to the Chiefs in the entire NFL?

"I think it's still the 49ers, and the Packers are going to be a great team," said Brady. "I think the Rams are going to be a good team, too."

The Packers, eh? Don't tell Chicago Bears fans, who have already held a parade and hung a "Caleb Williams looked good in the preseason" banner in Soldier Field.

It's interesting that Brady didn't name another NFC North rival, the division-champion Detroit Lions. It sounds like the seven-time Super Bowl winner believes in (Jordan) Love, and we get it. Unlike Jared Goff, who is a good quarterback in a great system, Love showed MVP potential last season and deservedly became the highest-paid player at the position.

And if you have an MVP-caliber quarterback, you can compete with the Chiefs. Brady has placed the rest of the NFC on notice.

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