Opinion: Tom Brady is the GOAT

The NFL has had many star quarterbacks in the past. Joe Montana for the 49ers, Dan Marino for the Dolphins, and Peyton Manning for the Colts all stand out. None of these quarterbacks manage to top the legend that has been Tom Brady’s career.

GOAT

Tom Brady: The Greatest of All Time?

After being drafted in the sixth round of the 2000 draft by the Patriots he went on to have an unremarkable rookie year where he only threw three passes due to his position as fourth-string quarterback. In his second season, Tom Brady surpassed Drew Bledsoe as the starting quarterback for the Patriots after Bledsoe was injured early in the season He then went on to win the Superbowl that season to become the youngest quarterback to win the Super Bowl. Brady was also named MVP of the Super Bowl that year.

Then Brady led the Patriots to two consecutive Super Bowl victories in 2003 and 2004, defeating the Panthers and Eagles respectively. Brady won the Super Bowl again in 2014 and again in 2016. This past season the Patriots again made it to the Super Bowl where Brady beat the Rams in the lowest scoring Super Bowl in history (13-3).

Brady holds the regular season record for most wins for a quarterback as well as notable records such as the best touchdown to interception rating and the oldest player to win NFL MVP at 40. In the postseason Brady holds the records for most passing yards, most wins, most touchdown passes, and most passing yards in a single postseason game with 505. In the Super Bowl, Brady holds the records for most Super Bowl wins by a single player with six, most passing yards, and most touchdown passes to name a few.

Many quarterbacks begin to lose steam when they reach their late 30s and early 40s but at age 41 Brady still remains as a great player, putting up good numbers as late as last season. All of these records and Brady’s stellar ratings place him as the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL.

 

SOME OF TOM BRADY’S NFL RECORDS (SOURCE)

Regular season (career)

  • Most games won by a quarterback: 207
  • Best touchdown to interception ratio in a season: 28:2
  • Most wins on the road by a quarterback: 92
  • Most wins at home by a quarterback: 115
  • Only quarterback to have three consecutive games with 300+ passing yards, 3+ Touchdown-passes and 0 interceptions
  • Oldest QB to lead the league in passing yards: 40
  • Most yards in a single season for a quarterback aged 40 and older (age 40): 4,577
  • Most touchdown passes with one team: 517
  • Oldest player to win NFL MVP: 40
  • Most career passing yards with one team: 70,514

Postseason (career)

  • Most games played: 40
  • Most games started: 40
  • Most games won by a starting quarterback: 30
  • Most consecutive wins by a starting quarterback: 10 (2001, 2003–2005)
  • Most consecutive wins to start a career by a starting quarterback: 10 (2001, 2003–2005)
  • Most career home wins by a starting quarterback: 20 (2001–2019)
  • Most consecutive home wins by a starting quarterback: 9 (2013–2019)
  • Most touchdown passes: 73
  • Most passing yards: 11,179
  • Most passing yards in a single playoff game: 505 (Super Bowl LII)
  • Most passes completed: 1,005
  • Most passes attempted: 1,589
  • Most passes intercepted: 34
  • Most division titles won by a starting quarterback: 16
  • Most NFL conference championship appearances by a starting quarterback: 13
  • Most NFL conference championship wins by a starting quarterback: 9
  • Oldest Quarterback to win an AFC title game: 41 years, 5 months, 17 days
  • Most career 300+ passing yard games: 16
  • Most game-winning drives: 13
  • Most multi-TD passes: 23

Super Bowl (career)

  • Most touchdown passes: 18Most passing yards: 2,838
  • Most passes completed: 256
  • Most passes attempted: 392
  • Most wins as starting QB: 6
  • Most passes completed in first half of a single Super Bowl: 20 (XLIX)
  • Most passes completed in a single Super Bowl: 43 (LI)
  • Most passes attempted in a single Super Bowl: 62 (LI)
  • Most passing yards in a single Super Bowl: 505 (LII)
  • Most Super Bowl appearances: 9
  • Most passing attempts without an interception in a single Super Bowl: 48 (XLII
  • & LII)
  • Oldest QB to start a Super Bowl: 41 yrs 6 months 0 days
  • Oldest QB to win a Super Bowl: 41 yrs 6 months 0 days
  • Oldest player to win Super Bowl MVP: 39 yrs 6 months 2 days
  • Most consecutive completions in a single Super Bowl: 16 (XLVI)
  • Most game-winning drives: 6
  • Most wins as a player: 6

Sections

Story Archive

The Mirror was established in 1927
© 2015-2022 by the Staff of The Mirror
The Mirror's Policy Manual and Style Guide.
The Mirror is funded by gifts to the Northwood Fund. Thank you.

%d bloggers like this: