Atlanta Falcons quarterback, Matt Ryan, revealed his respect and admiration for New England Patriots signal caller, Tom Brady.

As the Falcons and the Patriots set to square off in Super Bowl LI, Ryan took time to talk about his veneration of four time NFL Super Bowl Champion, Tom Brady.

“Tom has had an unbelievable year,” said Ryan, returning praise that was lobbed from the two time league MVP, Brady earlier this month. “Played extremely well and been extremely efficient: a lot of touchdowns, very few turnovers. He’s just played really, really good football. He’s been that way for a long time. He’s been so consistent throughout his career — such a great player and such a great competitor. And he’s certainly had a great year. He’s been a friend for a long time, too. I’ve gotten to know him a little bit since I’ve been into the league. Certainly he’s a good person and a good guy to talk to.”

Ryan, 31, also talked about the ability of Brady to continue playing well as he eyes 40 years of age.

“He’s kind of set the bar for longevity — aging well and playing at a really high level for a really long time,” said Ryan. “I know that he’s incredibly dedicated off the field in terms of taking care of himself, both mentally and physically, and training all year-round. He’s at it all year-round. He’s kind of shown the way on how to do that: how to take care of yourself and how to approach this the right way so you can play for a long time and play at a high level for a long time.”