Brady was dealing with multiple HOF QBs, just in his conference. Manning, the guy that so many were trying to call the G.O.A.T. throughout most of the Brady era, was there, but so was Roethlisberger. Right now, there's nobody even close to those guys in the entire NFL (Rodgers might have been worth the argument, if it was 10 years ago, but not now), never mind the AFC.
From 2001 until 2019, here are the AFC teams that represented the conference in the SB:
Patriots (Brady)
Raiders
Patriots (Brady)
Patriots (Brady)
Steelers (Roethlisberger)
Colts (Manning)
Patriots (Brady)
Steelers (Roethlisberger)
Colts (Manning)
Steelers (Roethlisberger)
Patriots (Brady)
Ravens
Broncos (Manning)
Patriots (Brady)
Broncos (Manning)
Patriots (Brady)
Patriots (Brady)
Patriots (Brady)