Tom Brady

Brady was a lightly regarded prospect coming out of college,[66][67] with an unimpressive NFL Scouting Combine performance reinforcing this reputation.[68] As a result, he was not selected until the sixth round of 2000 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, 199th overall, and was the seventh quarterback taken. Brady's success as a passer has been attributed to his work ethic, competitive spirit, pocket awareness, and intelligence.[69][70]

Brady has started 345 games in 21 seasons, the most for an NFL quarterback. His first 20 seasons were with the Patriots, which is also the most for an NFL quarterback with one franchise. He has served as the primary starter in 19 of his seasons, holding a backup role during his rookie campaign and missing nearly all the 2008 season due to a knee injury.[71] The 2008 season marks the only time that Brady did not start because of injury. Brady has never had a losing season as the starter and only missed the playoffs in 2002, the first year he started all 16 regular season games. With the Patriots, Brady led the team to 17 AFC East titles. His 18th postseason appearance with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 was the first time his team qualified as a wild card.

The NFL's winningest quarterback, Brady has won 230 regular season games and 33 postseason games for a combined 263 wins.[72] He is the only NFL quarterback to win 200 regular season games and his 33 postseason victories are more than twice those of any other quarterback. Brady is also the only NFL quarterback to win all 16 regular season games, which he accomplished in 2007.[73][74][75] In the regular season, Brady is tied with quarterback Peyton Manning for the most Pro Bowl selections at 14 and has been named league MVP three times in 2007, 2010, and 2017.[76][77] His 2010 MVP was awarded in a unanimous decision; the second to be awarded unanimously since linebacker Lawrence Taylor.[78] Brady was also named Male Athlete of the Year in 2007, making him the second NFL player after quarterback Joe Montana to receive the award.[79] He and Montana are the only players to win multiple NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP awards.[80][81]

Brady's 19 seasons as the primary starter have culminated with six Super Bowl titles, the most of any NFL player.[82] Overall, he has appeared in a record nine Super Bowls, with a 10th appearance scheduled for Super Bowl LV; more than half of the seasons where he was the primary starter and more than any NFL franchise other than the Patriots. In his six victories, Brady has also set the record for Super Bowl MVP awards at four.[83]

Holding nearly every major quarterback record, Brady is the NFL leader in combined passing yards, attempts, completions, and touchdown passes. He holds the postseason passing yards and completion records, while his attempts and touchdown records are held in both the regular season and playoffs.[84][85][86] In his 345 career starts, Brady is the only NFL quarterback to have two separate consecutive starts of over 100 games. Brady's 111 consecutive starts from 2001 to 2008 ended because of his injury and his 112 consecutive starts from 2009 to 2016 ended after he was suspended for the Deflategate controversy.[87][88][89][90][91] His longevity has also led to him setting several age records in the NFL. Brady is the NFL's oldest player to be named Super Bowl MVP (age 39), be named league MVP (age 40), win a Super Bowl as the starting quarterback (age 41), and win a playoff game as the starting quarterback (age 43).[92][93]

On the Patriots, Brady and head coach Bill Belichick formed the NFL's most successful quarterback-head coach tandem.[94] They were consistently credited with the Patriots' dynasty from 2001 to 2019, resulting in the dynasty being named the Brady–Belichick era after them.[95][96][97][98][99][100] The dynasty is regarded as one of the greatest in sports history, with Brady's successes helping the Patriots set the records for Super Bowl appearances (11) and wins (6, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers).[101][102] During Brady's first season as the primary starter, the franchise won its first championship in Super Bowl XXXVI, with consecutive titles following in 2003 and 2004.[103][104] The Patriots won an NFL-record 21 consecutive games (regular season and playoffs) during this period, while Brady won 10 consecutive postseason games (also his first 10 postseason games), another NFL record.[105][106]

Brady would maintain the Patriots' status as perennial postseason contenders throughout his tenure, although they did not win another Super Bowl until a decade after their third. His next two appearances both ended in upset defeats against the New York Giants; the first loss in 2007's Super Bowl XLII also prevented Brady and the Patriots from obtaining a perfect 19–0 season.[107] Brady returned to dominant postseason form in 2014 when he led the Patriots to their fourth title in Super Bowl XLIX.[108][109] This was followed by Brady making three consecutive Super Bowl appearances from 2016 to 2018, which secured New England's fifth and sixth titles in Super Bowl LI and Super Bowl LIII.[110]

One of the NFL's most decorated and accomplished players, Brady is widely cited as the greatest quarterback of all time.[111][112][113][114][115][116][117]

Brady was selected with pick number 199, a compensatory pick, in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.[118] He and his family had believed that Brady would be drafted in the second or third round; they watched the draft on television, stunned as six other quarterbacks were drafted before he was. Brady was so embarrassed that he briefly left the family home during the sixth round, and cried when recalling the experience for an interview 11 years later. When the Patriots notified him that he would be drafted, Brady was grateful that, he later said, he would not "have to be an insurance salesman".[119] According to Michael Holley's book Patriot Reign, the Patriots were considering Brady and Tim Rattay, both of whom had received positive reviews from then-quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein.[120] Ultimately, the Patriots front office chose Brady. Considering his subsequent success, many analysts have called Brady the best NFL draft pick of all time.[121][122][123][124] Patriots owner Robert Kraft recalled: "I still have the image of Tom Brady coming down the old Foxboro Stadium steps with that pizza box under his arm, a skinny beanpole, and when he introduced himself to me and said 'Hi Mr. Kraft,' he was about to say who he was, but I said 'I know who you are, you're Tom Brady. You're our sixth round draft choice,'" recalled Kraft. "And he looked me in the eye and said 'I'm the best decision this organization has ever made.' It looks like he could be right."[125]

Brady started the season as the fourth-string quarterback, behind starter Drew Bledsoe and backups John Friesz and Michael Bishop; by season's end, he was number two on the depth chart behind Bledsoe.[126] During his rookie season, he was 1-for-3 passing, for six yards.[127] Tight end Rod Rutledge caught Brady's first and only completed pass of the season in a 34–9 loss to the Detroit Lions on November 23.[128][129]

With Bledsoe as the starting quarterback, the Patriots opened the season with a 23–17 road loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.[127] In their second game and home opener on September 23, the Patriots squared off against their AFC East rivals, the New York Jets. Bledsoe was again the starter; in the fourth quarter, he suffered internal bleeding after a hit from Jets linebacker Mo Lewis. Bledsoe returned for the next series, but was replaced with Brady for the Patriots' final series of the game. Brady completed five of ten passes for 46 yards, but New York held on to win, 10–3, and the Patriots fell to 0–2 on the season.[130] Brady was named the starter for the season's third game, against the Indianapolis Colts. In his first two games as starter, Brady posted unspectacular passer ratings of 79.6 and 58.7, respectively, in a 44–13 win over the Colts and a 30–10 loss to the Miami Dolphins.[131][132][133]

In the Patriots' fifth game, Brady began to find his stride. Trailing the visiting San Diego Chargers 26–16 in the fourth quarter, he led the Patriots on two scoring drives to force overtime, and another in overtime to set up a winning field goal. Brady finished the game with 33 of 54, for 364 yards, and two touchdowns, and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career.[134][135] The following week, Brady again played well during the rematch at Indianapolis, with a passer rating of 148.3 in a 38–17 win.[136] The Patriots went on to win eleven of the fourteen games Brady started, and six straight to finish the regular season, winning the AFC East and entering the 2001–02 NFL playoffs with a first-round bye.[137] In that stretch was a Week 11 34–17 victory over the New Orleans Saints where he was 19 of 26 for 258 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn his second AFC Offensive Player of the Week nod in 2001.[138] In Week 15, against the Miami Dolphins, he recorded a 23-yard reception from Kevin Faulk on a trick play.[139] Brady finished the 2001 season with 2,843 passing yards and 18 touchdowns and earned an invitation to the 2002 Pro Bowl.[127][140]

In Brady's first playoff game, he threw for 312 yards against the Oakland Raiders and led the Patriots back from a ten-point fourth-quarter deficit to send the game to overtime, where they won on an Adam Vinatieri field goal. A controversial play occurred in the fourth quarter of that game. Trailing by three points, Brady lost control of the ball after being hit by Raiders cornerback and former Michigan teammate Charles Woodson. Oakland initially recovered the ball, but, citing the "tuck rule," which states that any forward throwing motion by a quarterback begins a pass even if the quarterback loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body, referee Walt Coleman overturned the call on instant replay, ruling it an incomplete pass rather than a fumble.[141] Brady finished the game 32-of-52 for 312 passing yards and one interception.[142]

In the AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brady injured his knee, and was relieved by Bledsoe.[143] The Patriots won the game by a score of 24–17 and were immediately installed by Las Vegas oddsmakers as 14-point underdogs against the NFC champion St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.[144][145]

Brady returned from his knee injury in the AFC Championship Game to start in Super Bowl XXXVI a week later at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Despite being heavy underdogs, the Patriots played well, holding the Rams' high powered offense in check through the first three quarters. The Rams rallied from a 17–3 deficit to tie the game with 1:30 left in regulation. The Patriots then got the ball back at their own 17-yard line with no timeouts remaining. Sportscaster and former Super Bowl-winning coach John Madden argued that the Patriots should run out the clock and try to win the game in overtime.[146] Instead, Brady drove the Patriots' offense down the field to the Rams' 31-yard line before spiking the ball with seven seconds left. Kicker Adam Vinatieri converted a 48-yard field goal as time expired to give the Patriots a 20–17 win and their first ever league championship.[147] Brady was named Super Bowl MVP while throwing for 145 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. At the age of 24 years and six months, Brady surpassed Joe Namath in Super Bowl III and Joe Montana in Super Bowl XVI, who were both 25 years, seven months, and 13 days old at the time of their victories, to earn the title of youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl.[148][149] Bledsoe was traded to the Buffalo Bills during the off-season; this event cemented Brady's status as the starting quarterback.[150]

In the season opener, Brady had 294 passing yards and three touchdowns in the 30–14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers to earn his third AFC Offensive Player of the Week title.[151][152] In Week 9, a 38–7 victory over the Buffalo Bills, he had 265 passing yards and three touchdowns to earn another AFC Offensive Player of the Week nod.[153][154] Brady and the Patriots finished the season at 9–7, tied with the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins for the best record in the division; however, the Jets won the division on tiebreakers. The Patriots were also tied with the Dolphins and Cleveland Browns for the final wild card spot, but the Browns won that tiebreaker.[155] Though Brady posted a career-low single-season passer rating of 85.7 and a career-high of 14 interceptions, he threw for a league-leading 28 touchdown passes.[131]

After opening the 2003 season at 2–2, Brady led the Patriots to twelve consecutive victories to finish the regular season at 14–2 to win the AFC East.[156] In Week 9, against the Denver Broncos, he had 350 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in the 30–26 win to earn his fifth AFC Offensive Player of the Week honor.[157][158] In Week 14, a 12–0 victory over the Miami Dolphins, he recorded a 36-yard punt.[159] Statistically, Brady's strongest game of the season was in Week 17 against the division rival Buffalo Bills, when he achieved a season-high passer rating of 122.9, and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week.[131][160] Brady finished with 3,620 passing yards and 23 touchdowns,[127] and was third in NFL MVP voting to co-winners Peyton Manning and Steve McNair.[161]

After earning a first-round bye, the Patriots defeated the Tennessee Titans in the Divisional Round, 17–14. In the win, Brady was 21 of 41 for 201 yards and one touchdown.[162] In the AFC Championship Game, they defeated Indianapolis Colts, 24–14. Brady completed 22 of 37 passes for 237 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.[163] In Super Bowl XXXVIII, Brady led the Patriots to a 32–29 victory over the NFC champion Carolina Panthers and was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time. During the game, Brady threw for 354 yards with three touchdowns and set the record for most completions by a quarterback in a Super Bowl with 32. With 1:08 left in the fourth quarter and the score tied 29–29, Brady led a drive with five completions to put the Patriots in position for the game-winning 41-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri.[164][165]

Brady during Super Bowl XXXIX

During the 2004 season, Brady helped the Patriots set an NFL record with 21 straight wins dating from the previous year, an accomplishment honored in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (though for official records, the NFL considers it an 18-game regular season winning streak; it does not count playoff games).[166] New England finished with a 14–2 record, equaling their 2003 record and the best regular-season record ever for a defending champion.[167] The Patriots also won the AFC East title for the third time in four years.[168] Brady threw for 3,692 yards and 28 touchdowns, with a 92.6 passer rating, and was voted to his second Pro Bowl.[127]

In the playoffs, Brady led the Patriots to wins over the Indianapolis Colts in the Divisional Round by a score of 20–3 and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship by a score of 41–27.[169] Brady played his best game of the year in Pittsburgh despite requiring intravenous treatment the previous night when he ran a temperature of 103°F.[170] Against the NFL's best defense,[169] he recorded a quarterback passer rating of 130.5, his highest of the season.[131] In Super Bowl XXXIX, the Patriots narrowly defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 24–21, in Jacksonville, Florida. Brady threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns[171] while capturing the Patriots' third championship in four years. They became the first franchise since the Dallas Cowboys in 1992–1995 to win do so.[172]

During the 2005 season, injuries suffered by running backs Corey Dillon, Patrick Pass, and Kevin Faulk forced the Patriots to rely more on Brady's passing.[173][174] Brady also had to adjust to new center Russ Hochstein and running back Heath Evans. On October 9, in a 31–28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, Brady had 350 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception to earn AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.[175][176] Brady finished first in the league with 4,110 passing yards and third in the league with 26 touchdowns.[127] At 92.3, his 2005 passer rating was the second-highest of his career at the time, although he equaled his career high for interceptions with 14.[131] He and the Patriots finished with a 10–6 record, winning their third straight AFC East title.[177] He was named to his third Pro Bowl at the end of the season.[178]

In the playoffs, Brady recorded 201 passing yards and three passing touchdowns to help lead the Patriots to a 28–3 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card Round. In the Divisional Round the Patriots lost 27–13 to the Denver Broncos.[179][180] Brady threw for 341 yards in the game with one touchdown and two interceptions in the first playoff loss of his career after ten playoff victories.[181] After the season's end, it was revealed that Brady had been playing with a sports hernia since December.[182]

Brady on the sideline at Giants Stadium with teammates Randy Moss and Jabar Gaffney, after throwing for his record-breaking 50th passing touchdown of the 2007 season

Brady started the 2006 season with 163 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception against the Buffalo Bills in a 19–17 win.[183] In Week 8, against the Minnesota Vikings, he had one of his stronger performances of the season with 372 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, and one interception in the 31–7 victory.[184] He posted another game with four passing touchdowns in the Week 11 35–0 victory over the Green Bay Packers.[185] Brady led the Patriots to a 12–4 record and the fourth seed in the AFC playoffs.[186] In the regular season, Brady threw for 3,529 yards and 24 touchdowns.[127] He was not among the players initially selected to the Pro Bowl,[187] although he was offered an injury-replacement selection when San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers was forced to withdraw. Brady ended up declining the invitation.[188]

In the postseason, the Patriots first hosted their division rivals, the New York Jets, in the Wild Card Round. The Patriots defeated the Jets 37–16, as Brady went 22–34 for 212 yards and two touchdowns.[189] The Patriots traveled to San Diego to take on the Chargers in the Divisional Round. This was Brady's first playoff game in his home state of California. Brady and the Patriots struggled against the Chargers, whom many had picked as favorites to win Super Bowl XLI.[190] With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Patriots down by eight points, Brady and the Patriots started a key drive that would ultimately decide the game. After a 49-yard pass play to wide receiver Reche Caldwell, a Stephen Gostkowski field goal gave the Patriots a 24–21 lead with 1:10 remaining. The Chargers drove down and attempted to tie the game with a 54-yard field goal attempt from Nate Kaeding, but it was no good and the Patriots won.[191]

In the AFC Championship, the Patriots traveled to Indianapolis to play the Indianapolis Colts, marking the third time the Patriots played the Colts in four postseasons. The Patriots led at halftime, 21–6; however, Peyton Manning led the Colts on a comeback, culminating in a last minute interception thrown by Brady, and the Patriots lost the game to the Colts, 38–34.[192] Brady finished the loss 21 of 34 for 232 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.[193]

Playing with an overhauled receiver corps—in the 2007 off-season, the Patriots acquired wide receivers Donté Stallworth, Wes Welker, Kelley Washington, and Randy Moss; tight end Kyle Brady; and running back Sammy Morris—Brady enjoyed what many sportswriters described as one of the best seasons by a quarterback.[194][195] Brady led the Patriots to the first 16–0 regular-season record in NFL history, outscoring opponents by an average score of 37–17.[196] He also attained numerous career, franchise, and NFL records and milestones in the process. He was named as the AFC Offensive Player of the Week five times that year.[197][198][199][200][201] In a Week 6 game at Dallas, he had a career-high five passing touchdowns in a 48–27 win. The win tied him with Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach for the most wins ever by a starting quarterback in his first 100 regular-season starts, with 76.[202] The next week, in part of a 49–28 win at Miami, he had another record day, with a career-high six passing touchdowns, setting a franchise record. He also had the first game with a perfect passer rating of his career.[203] Two weeks later, as part of a come-from-behind 24–20 victory at Indianapolis, he threw for another three touchdowns, the ninth consecutive game in which he had done so, breaking Peyton Manning's NFL record of eight.[204] During the last game of the year against the New York Giants, Brady threw two touchdown passes; his second touchdown was his 50th, breaking Peyton Manning's record of 49 in the 2004 season.[205]

Brady in Baltimore in December 2007

Brady finished the season with 4,806 passing yards, 50 touchdown passes, and eight interceptions. It was unanimously voted the greatest passing season of all time by ESPN in 2013. His 50:8 touchdown to interception ratio was, at the time, an NFL record. He became the first quarterback to pass for 50 touchdowns in a season and his 117.2 passer rating is the fifth highest in a single season. His 8.7% touchdown passing percentage is tied for 23rd highest ever in a season. He led the Patriots to the first undefeated regular season since the 16 game schedule was implemented in 1978. He directed an offense that scored a then NFL record 589 points and 75 total touchdowns. The team's 50 total touchdown passes is the fourth most ever in a season. For his efforts, Brady was named the Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year. He was also honored by the Associated Press as their Male Athlete of the Year, the first time an NFL player has been so honored since Joe Montana won the award in 1990.[206] He was named as a First Team All-Pro and to his fourth career Pro Bowl as a result of his historic season.[207][208]

In the Patriots' first playoff game, a Divisional Round game against Jacksonville, Brady began the game with an NFL postseason record 16 consecutive completed passes, and finished the game with 26 completions in 28 attempts, a completion rate of 92.9%. That mark was the highest single-game completion percentage (with at least 20 attempts) in NFL history, regular season or postseason.[209] With the win, the Patriots matched the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only team to win 17 consecutive games in one season.

Statistically, Brady did not fare as well in the AFC Championship Game against the San Diego Chargers, throwing for 209 yards, two touchdowns, three interceptions. Nevertheless, the Patriots won their 18th game of the season, 21–12, to advance to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in seven seasons. Brady, with the 100th win of his career, also set an NFL record for the fewest games needed by a starting quarterback to do so: his 100–26 record is sixteen games better than Joe Montana's.[210] In Super Bowl XLII at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Brady was pressured heavily and sacked five times. The Patriots managed to take the lead with a Brady touchdown to Moss with less than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Giants were able to drive and score a last-minute touchdown to upset the Patriots 17–14, taking away what would have been the first perfect season since the NFL expanded its regular season to 16 games.[211]

Brady in action against the Washington Redskins on August 28, 2009.

Brady did not play in any games during the 2008 preseason due to two different foot injuries.[212][213] In the Patriots' season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium, Brady's left knee was seriously injured midway through the first quarter on a hit by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard; he left the game and did not return. The team later confirmed that Brady would require surgery, and it would prematurely end his 2008 season.[214] Brady tore both his anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament.[215] The injury ended Brady's streak of 111 consecutive starts (ninth in the list of most consecutive starts by an NFL quarterback).[216] Dr. Neal ElAttrache performed the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction at the Los Angeles Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic October 6, using Brady's patellar tendon graft to replace the torn ligament, and also repaired his medial collateral ligament, through a separate incision in his left knee.[217] An infection in the wound resulted in further debridement surgery several times since the original procedure. Brady received IV antibiotics for this infection which, at the time, threatened to delay his rehab.[218][219] Despite Brady's absence, the Patriots managed to finish the 2008 season with an 11–5 record; however, due to tiebreakers, the Patriots not only failed to win the AFC East division title, but missed the playoffs altogether for the first time since the 2002 season.[220]

Brady playing on October 11, 2009 against the Denver Broncos

In his first game in nearly a year, Brady threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns in the 2009 season opener against the Buffalo Bills. In the final three minutes of the game, the Patriots were down 24–13 before Brady and tight end Benjamin Watson connected on two straight touchdowns to lead the Patriots to a 25–24 win.[221] Brady was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the 13th time in his career for his performance.[222]

On October 18, in an early season snowstorm, Brady set an NFL record against the Tennessee Titans for most touchdowns in a quarter, throwing five in the second quarter. Brady finished the game with six touchdowns, tying his career-high from the 2007 season, and 380 yards, completing 29-of-34 attempts, finishing with a nearly perfect passer rating of 152.8.[223][224] He earned his second AFC Offensive Player of the Week nod for his efforts against the Titans.[225] The Patriots' 59–0 victory over the Titans tied the record for the largest margin of victory since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger,[226] and set a record for largest halftime lead in NFL history, which was 45–0.[227]

Brady finished the 2009 regular season with 4,398 yards passing and 28 touchdowns for a 96.2 rating,[127] despite a broken right ring finger and three fractured ribs, which were suffered over the course of the season.[228] He was selected as a reserve to the 2010 Pro Bowl and named the 2009 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.[229][230]

Brady ended the 2009 season throwing for 154 passing yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions in a Wild Card Round loss to the Baltimore Ravens, 33–14, his first career home playoff loss, and the Patriots' first home playoff loss since 1978.[231]

On September 10, 2010, Brady signed a four-year, $72 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid player in the NFL. The extension included $48.5 million in guaranteed money.[232]

Brady became the fastest quarterback to achieve 100 regular season wins by helping his team defeat the Miami Dolphins 41–14 on October 4.[233] In a 31–28 win over the Indianapolis Colts on November 21, Brady tied Brett Favre's record of winning 25 consecutive regular-season home starts.[234] having not lost at home since a 17–14 loss to the New York Jets on November 12, 2006.[235] On November 25, in a 45–24 victory over the Detroit Lions, he had 341 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn AFC Offensive Player of the Week.[236][237] In the game, he earned a perfect passer rating for the second time in his career.[238][239] The next week, in a 45–3 victory over the New York Jets, he had 326 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second consecutive week. The victory over the Jets set an NFL record by winning 26 consecutive regular-season home starts.[240][241][242]

Brady threw for 3,900 yards with 36 touchdowns and only four interceptions on the season.[127] He had a 111.0 passer rating; this gave him — at the time — two of the top five season ratings in NFL history and made him the first player to finish with a rating above 110 in two different seasons.[243] The 2010 Patriots also tied an NFL record for a team by throwing only five interceptions in an entire season (the four by Brady and one by backup Brian Hoyer).[244]

Brady was selected as a starter to the 2011 Pro Bowl.[245] However, he pulled out of the game (and was replaced by his former backup Matt Cassel, who then played for the Kansas City Chiefs) after undergoing surgery for a stress fracture in his right foot dating back to 2008.[246] Brady was also the only unanimous selection for the AP All-Pro Team and was named the 2010 Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year. By unanimous decision, he won the MVP award for the second time in his career.[247] On the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011 players' list, Brady was ranked as the best player in the NFL by his fellow players.[248]

After earning the #1 seed and a bye week, the Patriots lost to the New York Jets in the Divisional Round, 28–21. Brady finished the game 29-of-45 for 299 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception which ended his NFL record of consecutive pass attempts without an interception at 340.[249][250]

Brady in 2011

In Week 1 of the 2011 season, Brady threw for a career-high 517 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception in a 38–24 win over the Miami Dolphins and earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.[251] In the game, he threw a record-tying 99-yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker.[252][253][254] In the next game, a 35–21 victory over the San Diego Chargers, he had 423 passing yards and three touchdowns to earn another AFC Offensive Player of the Week nod.[255][256] In Week 16, against the Miami Dolphins, Brady had 304 passing yards and one passing touchdown to go along with nine rushes for 17 yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 27–24 victory to earn AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the third time in 2011.[257][258] In the regular season finale against the Buffalo Bills, Brady became the fourth quarterback to throw for 5,000 yards in a season, finishing with 5,235; although Brady surpassed Dan Marino's longstanding record of 5,084 passing yards, he finished the season second in passing yards behind Drew Brees' 5,476.[127] The Patriots finished the season 13–3 and clinched the AFC's #1 seed.[259] For his efforts in the 2011 season, Brady was named to the Pro Bowl and was named as the fourth best player in the NFL on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012 by his peers.[260][261]

In the Patriots' 45–10 win over the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round, Brady set a personal postseason best with 363 passing yards, and tied an NFL playoff record shared by Daryle Lamonica and Steve Young, throwing for six touchdown passes.[263] The win, his first postseason win since the 2007 season, gave Brady and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick sole possession of the NFL record for postseason wins by a quarterback-head coach duo with 15.[264] In the AFC Championship game against the Baltimore Ravens, Brady failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time in 36 games, though he did pass for 239 yards and scored a one-yard rushing touchdown late in the game. A missed field goal from Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff gave Brady and the Patriots a 23–20 victory, sending Brady to his fifth Super Bowl.[265] In Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Brady and the Patriots met the New York Giants in a rematch of Super Bowl XLII four years earlier. On the Patriots' first offensive series, Brady was penalized for intentional grounding in the end zone, giving up a safety which gave the Giants an early 2–0 lead. Brady would bounce back from this early blunder, leading a Super Bowl record-tying 96-yard touchdown drive to close the first half and at one point completing 16 consecutive passes to give him a 20-of-23 mark partway into the third quarter, another Super Bowl record.[266] However, as was also the case four years earlier, the Patriots could not hold a late lead and allowed Eli Manning to lead the Giants to a game-winning touchdown with less than a minute left, giving Brady his second career Super Bowl loss.[267]

Brady started all 16 regular season games of the 2012 NFL season and led the Patriots to a 12–4 record. Among the many highlights of the team was a 42–14 win over the Houston Texans in Week 14. Brady had 296 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn AFC Offensive Player of the Week.[268][269] The Patriots scored 557 total points, the third highest in league history and Brady became the first quarterback to lead his team to ten division titles.[270] With that point total, the Patriots became the first team to score at least 500 points in a season four different times, with Brady leading all four squads, which was a record as well. He finished the season with 4,827 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, only eight interceptions, and a passer rating of 98.7. It was Brady's third straight season throwing for over 30 touchdowns.[271] He was named to the Pro Bowl for the eighth time in his career.[272] On the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013, Brady was ranked fourth by his fellow players for the second consecutive year.[273]

Brady started both Patriots playoff games, winning 41–28 over the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round.[274] Brady passed for 344 yards and three touchdowns as he led the team to the AFC Championship Game. With the victory, Brady surpassed Joe Montana for most career playoff wins, with 17.[275] The Patriots were then upset by the eventual Super Bowl XLVII champion Baltimore Ravens, 28–13 in the AFC Championship. He threw for 320 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions.[276] He suffered his first career loss at home when leading by halftime, in which he was previously 67–0.[277]

On February 25, 2013, Brady and the Patriots agreed on a three-year contract extension, which kept him with the team through 2017.[278] Sportswriter Peter King called it an "amazing" deal, as Brady took just $27 million in new money over the 2015, 2016, and 2017 seasons, and also noted that it reflected Patriots owner Robert Kraft's desire to make sure that Brady retired as a Patriot.[279]

Brady and the Patriots began the season with much upheaval on the offensive side of the ball. Tight end Rob Gronkowski was injured and Aaron Hernandez was arrested. Wes Welker departed to the Denver Broncos, Danny Woodhead left in free agency for the San Diego Chargers, and Brandon Lloyd was released from the team. In order to replace the five players, the Patriots signed Danny Amendola in free agency from the Rams, drafted rookie wide receivers Aaron Dobson and Josh Boyce, and signed undrafted rookie free agent wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins. In the first two games of the season, Brady completed 52% of his passes and had three touchdowns and one interception.[280][281]

Brady during the 2013 season

Brady was in pursuit of Drew Brees's record of at least one touchdown in 54 consecutive regular season games and saw the streak end at 52 games in a Week 5 loss against the Cincinnati Bengals.[282] In a Week 6 game against the Saints, the Patriots struggled in the first half and bounced back in the second with Brady passing for 269 yards with a touchdown to Kenbrell Thompkins as time expired to pull out the win over the Saints.[283]

In Week 12, Brady faced-off against Peyton Manning for the fourteenth time in his career. After going to the half trailing by 24 points, Brady and the Patriots scored 31 unanswered points. The Patriots won after a muffed punt in overtime when Stephen Gostkowski scored a field goal.[284] With the win, Brady earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.[285] With a Week 16 win over the Baltimore Ravens, Brady collected his 147th win as a starting quarterback to tie Dan Marino for fourth place all time, and the following week he defeated the Buffalo Bills to tie John Elway for third place. In the victory over the Bills, Brady recorded a 32-yard punt.[286] Brady was named to the Pro Bowl for the ninth time in career and was ranked third on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014 players' list in the off-season.[287][288]

Brady's Patriots finished the season 12–4 to earn the second seed in the AFC and a first-round bye.[289] In the Divisional Round matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, Brady made his 25th playoff appearance, breaking Brett Favre's career record for playoff appearances by a quarterback (Jerry Rice appeared in 29 playoff games). He passed for 198 yards as the Patriots won 43–22 behind a four-touchdown performance from running back LeGarrette Blount.[290] The following week, the Patriots lost 26–16 to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship. In the loss, Brady was 24-for-38 for 277 yards and touchdown, along with two carries for seven yards and a rushing touchdown.[291]

Brady in September 2014 against the Minnesota Vikings

Brady started the 2014 season with a 33–20 loss to the Miami Dolphins.[292] It was Brady's first opening day loss since the 2003 season. Brady recorded 241 yards and a touchdown in the loss. New England rebounded against the Minnesota Vikings, but Brady struggled, throwing for 149 yards and a touchdown in a 30–7 win.[293] Against the Oakland Raiders, Brady was pressured all day, but threw for 234 yards and a touchdown in 16–9 win.[294] After a humiliating 41–14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Brady led New England to back-to-back wins against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills.[295][296] Brady then defeated the New York Jets with a 261-yard performance that included three touchdowns.[297] The following week, a 51–23 embarrassment of the Chicago Bears saw Brady throw for 354 yards and a season-high five touchdowns.[298] After passing for 333 yards and 257 yards in his next two games against the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts respectively, Brady defeated the Detroit Lions 34–9 with 349 passing yards and two touchdowns against only one interception.[299] The Patriots winning streak was put to the test against the Green Bay Packers in Week 13. Down 13–0 early, Brady threw for 245 yards and two touchdowns. Still down 26–21, Brady was unable to give the Patriots their eighth consecutive victory.[300] After trailing 14–3 at the San Diego Chargers, Brady rallied his team with 317 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, to a 23–14 comeback win.[301] Brady clinched his NFL record 12th AFC East division title with 287 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Brady struggled in his final two games, throwing for only 182 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in 17–16 victory against the Jets, and 80 yards in one half of the final regular season game against the Buffalo Bills, a 17–9 loss, though Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, and three starting offensive linemen did not play either the entirety or the majority of the final game, and Brady only played in the first half.[302] Brady was named to his tenth career Pro Bowl and was ranked third by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.[303][304]

In a 35–31 Divisional Round win over the Ravens, Brady threw for three touchdowns and ran in a fourth, breaking Curtis Martin's club record for rushing touchdowns in the playoffs; Brady also broke Joe Montana's record for playoff touchdowns with 46.[305] After the Ravens scored on their first two possessions, the Patriots were quickly down 14–0. Brady led New England on an eight-play, 78-yard drive, and ran for a score to cut the Ravens lead to 14–7. In the second quarter, Brady's 15-yard touchdown pass to Danny Amendola tied the score at 14–14. After getting the ball back, Brady threw an interception at the end of the first half. Joe Flacco capitalized on it by throwing an 11-yard touchdown strike to tight end Owen Daniels to give Baltimore a 21–14 halftime lead. Down 28–14, Brady engineered an 80-yard drive, culminating in a touchdown to Rob Gronkowski to cut the lead to 28–21. The Patriots tied the game once again at 28 off of a trick play where Brady passed laterally to Julian Edelman who then threw a 51-yard touchdown to Amendola. Ravens kicker Justin Tucker converted a 25-yard field goal to give Baltimore a 31–28 fourth quarter lead. Brady got the ball back, and threw a 23-yard touchdown to wide receiver Brandon LaFell to give the Patriots their first lead, 35–31, with 5:13 remaining. After a Duron Harmon interception and a Joe Flacco Hail Mary attempt failed, Brady clinched his record ninth AFC Championship Game, fourth straight, and the third championship game against the Indianapolis Colts.[306] After a 45–7 blowout, Brady advanced to play in his sixth Super Bowl, breaking a tie with John Elway for most career Super Bowl appearances by a quarterback. Against the Colts, Brady threw for 226 yards and three passing touchdowns with one interception.[307]

In Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Brady completed 37-of-50 passes for 328 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions. He guided a then-record ten-point fourth quarter comeback as the Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28–24 to give Brady his fourth Super Bowl ring, tying him with Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw for most Super Bowl victories by a starting quarterback.[308] He was named Super Bowl MVP for the third time, tying Montana's record.[309] Brady's 37 completed passes in the game set a Super Bowl record at the time, which Brady himself would break in Super Bowl LI two years later.[310]

On May 6, 2015, the NFL published a 243-page report regarding the deflation of footballs used in the previous season's AFC Championship Game.[311] The report concluded that, more likely than not, Brady was at least generally aware of the intentional deflation. On May 11, Brady was suspended for four games by the NFL for his involvement based on "substantial and credible evidence" that Brady knew Patriots employees were deflating footballs and that he failed to cooperate with the investigators.[312] On May 11, Troy Vincent—NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations—penned a letter to Brady that stated in part: "Your actions as set forth in the report clearly constitute conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the game of professional football."[313] Vincent's letter further stated: "With respect to your particular involvement, the report established that there is substantial and credible evidence to conclude you were at least generally aware of the actions of the Patriots' employees involved in the deflation of the footballs and that it was unlikely that their actions were done without your knowledge. Moreover, the report documents your failure to cooperate fully and candidly with the investigation, including by refusing to produce any relevant electronic evidence (emails, texts, etc.), despite being offered extraordinary safeguards by the investigators to protect unrelated personal information, and by providing testimony that the report concludes was not plausible and contradicted by other evidence."[313] Brady, through the NFL Players Association, appealed the suspension on May 14.[314]

On July 28, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld Brady's four-game suspension.[315] Brady gave permission to the NFLPA to appeal the suspension in federal court.[316] Goodell cited Brady's destruction of his cell phone as a critical factor in his decision to uphold Brady's suspension.[317][318] The NFL also filed papers in federal court seeking to confirm Roger Goodell's decision.[319] On July 29, Brady released a statement on his Facebook page that criticized Goodell's decision to uphold the suspension, saying in part "I am very disappointed by the NFL's decision to uphold the 4 game suspension against me. I did nothing wrong, and no one in the Patriots organization did either... I will not allow my unfair discipline to become a precedent for other NFL players without a fight."[320][321]

Brady in November 2015

Commentary on the initial punishment was mixed. Bleacher Report writer Mike Freeman made a statement agreeing with Goodell's decision, saying the penalties were "brutal, but it deserved to be."[322] Various commentators also implied that the prior reputation of the Patriots organization as a team that bends rules appeared to factor into the harshness of the punishment.[322][323] Others described the punishment as "firm but fair".[324]

On September 3, Judge Richard M. Berman of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York vacated Brady's suspension; this ruling allowed Brady to play in the first four games of the 2015 NFL season. In his decision, Judge Berman cited the NFL's failure to provide proper notice to Brady of the charges against him and the potential for a suspension.[325] Post-appeal commentary also criticized Goodell for "manipulating Brady's testimony" at the appeal hearing in his decision.[326]

In the NFL Kickoff Game, Brady led the Patriots to a 28–21 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He threw for 288 yards and four touchdowns, three of them to Rob Gronkowski.[327] The Patriots' victory was the 161st victory of Brady's career, all with the Patriots, which surpassed the record held by former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre for most regular season wins by a starting quarterback with a single team.[328] In Week 2, Brady threw for 466 yards and three touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills. Through the first five games of the season, Brady threw a total of 14 touchdowns with one interception and had a quarterback rating of 118.4.[329] In Week 8, a 36–7 victory over the Miami Dolphins, he had 356 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn his 25th career AFC Offensive Player of the Week title.[330][331]

Despite Brady's success, the Patriots were hit by many injuries to key players on offense, including wide receiver Julian Edelman, and the Patriots eventually lost their first game against the Denver Broncos, who were without Peyton Manning, in Denver following a 10–0 start.[332] The Patriots then lost three of their remaining five games to finish 12–4 for a fourth straight season, tied with the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos for the AFC's best record. The Denver Broncos clinched the No. 1 seed due to their victories over both the Patriots and the Bengals, while the Patriots finished with the AFC's No. 2 seed due to having a better record against common opponents than the Cincinnati Bengals.[333][334] Brady finished the regular season with a league-leading 36 touchdown passes and seven interceptions.[335] He was named to his 11th Pro Bowl (seventh straight), and was ranked as the second best player on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016 behind only league MVP Cam Newton.[336][337]

With the return of Julian Edelman from a foot injury, the Patriots defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round by a score of 27–20 after advancing with a first round bye.[338][339] Brady completed 28 of 42 passes for 302 yards and two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown as he led the team to their fifth consecutive appearance in the AFC Championship.[340] The Patriots advanced to the AFC Championship to face Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. It would turn out to be the 17th and final meeting between the two storied quarterbacks, as Manning would announce his retirement after the season ended. The Broncos' top-ranked defense limited Brady, who completed 27-of-56 passes with two interceptions and a passing touchdown, all day, and the Patriots eventually lost the game 20–18 after a potential game-tying two-point conversion attempt failed with less than half a minute remaining.[341]

On February 29, 2016, Brady signed a two-year contract extension covering the 2018 and 2019 seasons.[342] On March 3, the NFL appealed Judge Richard M. Berman's 2015 decision to vacate Brady's four-game suspension as punishment for his alleged role in the Deflategate scandal. At the hearing, the three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit questioned Players Association lawyer Jeffrey L. Kessler and NFL lawyer Paul Clement, with Circuit Judge Denny Chin stating that "the evidence of ball tampering is compelling, if not overwhelming."[343]

On April 25, the decision to vacate Brady's four-game suspension was overturned by the U.S. Appeals Court.[344][345] Circuit Judge Barrington Daniels Parker Jr., joined by Circuit Judge Chin, wrote that they could not "second-guess" the arbitration but were merely determining it "met the minimum legal standards established by the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947".[346] Circuit Chief Judge Robert Katzmann dissented, writing that the NFL's fines for using stickum was "highly analogous" and that here "the Commissioner was doling out his own brand of industrial justice."[347] On May 23, Brady appealed for his case to be reheard by the full U.S. 2nd Circuit Court.[348] The 2nd Circuit Court denied Brady's request for an en banc hearing on July 13.[349] On July 15, Brady announced on that he would give up his Deflategate fight and accept his suspension for the first four regular season games of the 2016 season.[350]

Brady during the 2016 season

After serving his four-game suspension, Brady made his 2016 season debut on October 9 on the road against the Cleveland Browns; he completed 28-of-40 passes for 406 yards and three touchdowns in a 33–13 victory to earn AFC Offensive Player of the Week.[351][352] In his home debut the following week, Brady completed 29-of-35 passes for 376 yards and three touchdowns in a 35–17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.[353] In Week 7, Brady completed 19 of 26 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns as New England defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 27–16.[354] The next week, the Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills 41–25, with Brady completing 22-of-33 passes for 315 yards and four touchdowns.[355] Brady's outstanding numbers during his first four games following the suspension earned him the AFC Offensive Player of the Month award for October.[356]

Following a bye week, Brady and the Patriots faced the Seattle Seahawks in a Week 10 rematch of Super Bowl XLIX. Brady completed 23-of-32 passes for 316 yards, one interception, and no touchdowns in a 31–24 loss that saw the two teams trade leads seven times.[357] In Week 11, Brady completed 24-of-40 passes for 280 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions in a 30–17 road win against his childhood team, the San Francisco 49ers. Brady's performance against San Francisco earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for Week 11.[358] Those four touchdown passes also gave him 444 career regular season touchdown passes with one team, breaking Brett Favre's record with the Green Bay Packers. The following week, Brady completed 30-of-50 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns in a 22–17 road victory against the New York Jets.[359] The win was also the Patriots' 500th victory (including playoffs) in franchise history. During this victory, Brady also became the fifth quarterback to record 60,000 career regular season passing yards, joining Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Drew Brees, and Dan Marino.[360] The following week, Brady completed 33-of-46 passes for 269 yards and one touchdown as the Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 26–10.[361] The Patriots' win against the Rams gave Brady his 201st career victory, including playoff games, breaking Peyton Manning's record of 200.[362] In Week 14, Brady completed 25 of 38 passes for 406 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception during a 30–23 victory against the Baltimore Ravens.[363]

The next week, Brady completed 16-of-32 passes for 188 yards in a 16–3 road victory over the Denver Broncos.[364] With this victory, the Patriots clinched an eighth consecutive AFC East title and a seventh consecutive first-round bye in the playoffs, both NFL records.[365] On December 20, 2016, Brady was named to the Pro Bowl for the eighth straight season and 12th time overall.[366][367] In Week 16, Brady threw for 17 of 27 passes for 214 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions as he led the Patriots to a 41–3 win over the Jets.[368] In Week 17, Brady completed 25-of-33 passes for 276 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in a 35–14 victory over the Miami Dolphins in the regular season finale that gave the Patriots home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.[369] Brady's 276 yards against Miami moved him ahead of former Miami quarterback Dan Marino into fourth place on the NFL's all-time passing yards list. Brady's three touchdowns against Miami also gave him 28 passing touchdowns against two interceptions for the regular season. This broke the previous record of Nick Foles's 27:2 TD:INT ratio which was set in 2013 with the Philadelphia Eagles.[370] Being as Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett threw zero interceptions in the first four games the 2016 Patriots also shattered the NFL record for fewest interceptions in a season with just two. The previous record was five held by several teams, including the 2010 Patriots. Brady was named to the AP All-Pro Second Team, behind Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons, who was named to the AP All-Pro First Team.[371] Brady was also ranked first on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017 as the best player in the league, becoming the first player to be named as #1 twice since the listing started.[372]

Brady hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the fifth time in his career after winning Super Bowl LI

Brady and the Patriots began their postseason run in the Divisional Round, hosting the Houston Texans, which held the league's No. 1 total defense. Brady completed 18-of-38 passes for 287 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions as the Patriots won 34–16, clinching a record sixth consecutive trip to the AFC Championship Game.[373] In the AFC Championship, The Patriots hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brady completed 32 of 42 passes for 384 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in the 36–17 victory. The win gave Brady and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick their record seventh conference title as a quarterback–head coach tandem, and the Patriots an NFL record ninth Super Bowl appearance.[374]

Brady and the Patriots faced the NFC champion Atlanta Falcons—who boasted the league's highest scoring offense—in Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on Sunday, February 5, 2017. Brady threw for 43 completions on 62 attempts for 466 passing yards—all Super Bowl records at the time. Brady also threw for two touchdowns and an interception, which was returned for a touchdown by Robert Alford in the second quarter. After trailing 28–3 midway through the third quarter, Brady and the Patriots scored 25 unanswered points to tie the game at the end of regulation. This resulted in the first overtime in Super Bowl history. After winning the overtime coin toss, Brady led the Patriots down the field to score a touchdown and win the game by a score of 34–28,[375] completing the largest comeback win in both team history and Super Bowl history. With the victory, Brady won his fifth Super Bowl, which set a record for most Super Bowl victories of any quarterback in history and tied defensive player Charles Haley for the most Super Bowl victories for any player. In addition, Brady set another record by winning his fourth Super Bowl MVP award for his clutch performance.[376]

After the game, it was discovered that Brady's jersey had gone missing from the Patriots' locker room at NRG Stadium.[377] The FBI, in collaboration with Mexican authorities, recovered the jersey from the home of Martin Mauricio Ortega, a Mexican tabloid writer, along with Brady's jersey from Super Bowl XLIX.[378]

On May 12, 2017, Brady was announced as the cover athlete for Madden NFL 18.[379]

In a CBS interview on May 17, 2017, Charlie Rose asked Brady's wife, Gisele Bündchen, if she wanted Brady to retire, despite the fact that he was playing at a high level. Bündchen mentioned that Brady suffered from a concussion in the 2016 season, saying, "I mean he has concussions pretty much every—I mean we don't talk about—but he does have concussions. I don't really think it's a healthy thing for anybody to go through.”[380][381]

Following the Bündchen interview, the NFL released a statement: "We have reviewed all reports relating to Tom Brady from the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultants and certified athletic trainer spotters who worked at Patriots' home and away 2016 season games as well as club injury reports that were sent to the league office. There are no records that indicate that Mr. Brady suffered a head injury or concussion, or exhibited or complained of concussion symptoms. Today we have been in contact with the NFLPA and will work together to gather more information from the club's medical staff and Mr. Brady".[382][383] Brady's agent, Don Yee, said that Brady was not diagnosed with a concussion during the 2016 season.[384]

The Patriots opened up their 2017 season in the NFL Kickoff Game on September 7 at home against the Kansas City Chiefs. Brady had 267 passing yards in the game, which the Patriots lost 42–27.[385] In Week 2, Brady threw three touchdown passes in the first quarter of a game for the first time in his career in a 36–20 win over the New Orleans Saints.[386] He finished the game with 447 passing yards and three touchdowns, earning him his 28th AFC Offensive Player of the Week award,[387] breaking the record previously held by Peyton Manning for the most AFC Offensive Player of the Week awards in a career.[388] In Week 3, Brady threw for 378 passing yards and five touchdowns as he led the Patriots to a 36–33 comeback win against the Houston Texans, a performance that earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second straight week.[389] In Week 5, the Patriots' defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19–14. With this victory, Brady tied Peyton Manning and Brett Favre for the most regular season wins by a quarterback in NFL history with 186.[390] On October 10, it was unveiled that Brady was diagnosed with an AC joint sprain in his left (non-throwing) shoulder.[391][392] The next week, the Patriots defeated the New York Jets, 24–17. Brady obtained his 187th career win, setting the record for most regular season wins in NFL history.[393] In Week 7, the Patriots hosted the Atlanta Falcons in a rematch of Super Bowl LI. Brady was efficient, completing 21 of 29 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns as the Patriots defeated the Falcons, 23–7.[394] In Week 10, the Patriots dominated the Denver Broncos, 41–16. Brady completed 25 of 34 passes for 266 yards and three touchdowns. For his performance against Denver, Brady was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the third time in the season.[395] After spending the next week training at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Brady and the Patriots traveled to Mexico City to battle the Oakland Raiders at Estadio Azteca.[396] Like the previous week, the Patriots won big, this time by a final score of 33–8. Brady completed 30 of 37 passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns in the win. During Week 12 against the Miami Dolphins, Brady finished with 227 passing yards, four touchdowns, and an interception as the Patriots won 35–17. Brady became the first quarterback at age 40 to throw for four touchdowns in a game. Brady was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for November.[397] During Week 13 against the Buffalo Bills, Brady finished with 258 passing yards and an interception as the Patriots won 23–3. During the game, Brady yelled at offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels after failing to execute a play properly in the first quarter. Brady claimed that this was not his first incident with McDaniels, with whom he had worked together for 13 years, with a "fruitful" relationship.[398][399] On December 19, Brady was selected to the Pro Bowl for the 13th time in his career.[400][401] On December 24 against the Buffalo Bills, Brady completed 21 of 28 passes for 224 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception as the Patriots won their 12th game of the season, 37–16.[402] With this win, combined with a Jacksonville Jaguars loss later in the day, the Patriots clinched a first-round bye for the eighth straight year.[403] The Patriots won their regular season finale to clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.[404] At age 40, Brady became the oldest quarterback ever to start all of his team's games in an NFL regular season (surpassing Doug Flutie, who at age 38 started all 16 games for the 2001 San Diego Chargers). Brady finished the regular season as the NFL's passing yards leader with 4,577, making him the oldest player ever to lead the league in passing yards.[405] He was named a first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press for the third time in his career.[406] Earning 40 of 50 votes, Brady was named the NFL Most Valuable Player for the third time in his career.[407] For the second straight year and third time overall, Brady was ranked No. 1 by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.[408]

Brady playing in Super Bowl LII

Brady and the Patriots began their postseason run by hosting the Tennessee Titans in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Brady completed 35 passes out of 53 attempts for 337 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and no interceptions in a 35–14 Patriots victory.[409] With the win, the Patriots advanced to the AFC Championship Game for the seventh straight year. Days after the divisional round, it was revealed that Brady had a minor cut on his right hand, which required stitches.[410] Despite this injury, Brady managed to start the AFC Championship Game, where the Patriots hosted the Jacksonville Jaguars. Brady led a fourth quarter comeback to lead the Patriots to a 24–20 victory. He finished the game with 26 completions out of 38 attempts for 290 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and no interceptions.[411] The win gave Brady and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick their eighth conference title as a quarterback–head coach tandem, and the Patriots a berth in Super Bowl LII, their tenth Super Bowl appearance as a team, both of which extended NFL records. In Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Patriots faced off against the Philadelphia Eagles and their second-string quarterback Nick Foles. Brady completed 28 passes on 48 attempts for three passing touchdowns, no interceptions, and a Super Bowl record 505 yards – which also set a new record for the most passing yards by a quarterback in any postseason game in NFL history.[412][413] With roughly two minutes remaining in the game and the Eagles leading 38–33, Brady was strip-sacked by Brandon Graham. The Eagles recovered the fumble and cemented their 41–33 win with a field goal, securing their first franchise Super Bowl victory in a game with most combined total yardage in NFL history.[414] This was the third time overall that Brady had lost in a Super Bowl, becoming the fourth starting quarterback in Super Bowl history to lose at least three Super Bowls joining Jim Kelly, Fran Tarkenton, and John Elway.[415] In addition, this was the first time he had lost a Super Bowl to a team and a quarterback other than the New York Giants and Eli Manning, respectively.[416]

Brady started his 19th NFL season with 277 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in a 27–20 victory over the Houston Texans in the season opener.[417][418] After losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions over the next two games, Brady had 274 passing yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions in a 38–7 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 4.[419] In the following game, a 38–24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, he had 341 passing yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions to go with a rushing touchdown. Brady's 500th career touchdown pass went to Josh Gordon, who became the 71st different player to catch a touchdown from Brady, breaking a record previously held by Vinny Testaverde.[420][421] In Week 6, a 43–40 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, Brady had 340 passing yards and a passing touchdown to go with a four-yard rushing touchdown.[422] In Week 15, Brady reached 70,000 passing yards, becoming the fourth quarterback in NFL history to accomplish the feat, and the second player, after Brett Favre, to have over 70,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a career. He finished with 279 passing yards as the Patriots lost 17–10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.[423] During Week 16 against the Buffalo Bills, Brady was limited to 126 passing yards, but the Patriots combined for 273 rushing yards and won 24–12, clinching the AFC East pennant for the 10th consecutive season and 16th time in 18 years.[424] Tom Brady eclipsed 4,000 yards at the same time as Philip Rivers, becoming the third and fourth quarterback in NFL history to reach 4,000 yards in 10 seasons or more, joining Peyton Manning & Drew Brees.[425] In Week 17, Brady completed 24 of 33 passes for 250 yards and four touchdowns in a 38–3 win against the Jets that clinched the AFC's #2 seed and a first-round bye for the 11–5 Patriots.[426][427] Brady finished the season completing 375 of 570 passes (a 65.8% completion rate), 4,355 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.[428] He was ranked sixth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.[429]

Following their first-round bye, the Patriots started their playoff run at home against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Divisional Round. The Patriots jumped out to a 35–7 halftime lead en route to a 41–28 win that saw Brady complete 34 of 44 passes for 343 passing yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions.[430] With the win, the Patriots advanced to the AFC Championship Game for the eighth consecutive year, this time to face the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.[431] In the AFC Championship Game, the Patriots opened the game with an 80-yard, 15-play opening drive capped with a one-yard Sony Michel rushing touchdown. The Patriots went into halftime with a 14–0 lead. However, the Chiefs battled back in the second half and Harrison Butker hit a 39-yard field goal for the Chiefs with just eight seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime with a score of 31–31. The Patriots won the coin toss to start overtime and elected to receive the ball. Brady led the Patriots on a 75-yard drive that resulted in a game-winning two-yard rushing touchdown by Rex Burkhead. With the victory, Brady earned a Super Bowl appearance for the third straight season and the ninth time overall in his career. Brady finished the game completing 30 of 46 attempts, with 348 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.[432] In Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, Brady completed 21 of 35 passes for 262 passing yards and an interception as the Patriots won 13–3 over the Los Angeles Rams in the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in history. This was the first time in nine Super Bowl appearances in which Brady did not have a passing touchdown, though with the game tied 3–3 and less than eight minutes left he successfully connected with Rob Gronkowski down the sideline between three defenders to set up what would be the decisive touchdown.[433] With the victory, the Patriots became the second NFL team to win six Super Bowls, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most in NFL history.[434] In addition, Brady became the first player ever to win six Super Bowls, breaking a tie with Charles Haley, as well as the oldest quarterback at 41 years of age to win a Super Bowl.[435][436]

Brady in a game against the Washington Redskins

On August 4, 2019, Brady signed a two-year contract extension worth $70 million that covered both the 2020 and the 2021 seasons;[437] the terms of the contract allowed Brady to become a free agent after the 2019 season.[438] Against the 2019 Patriots salary cap Brady was the highest-paid player on the team at $21.5 million.[439] Belichick was unwilling to offer a longer-term deal that Brady sought.[440]

Brady began his 20th NFL season by completing 24 of 36 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns in a 33–3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.[441] The next week, in a 43–0 win over the Miami Dolphins, Brady completed 20 out of 28 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. During a 33–7 victory against the Washington Redskins in Week 5, Brady surpassed Brett Favre for third place on the all-time passing yards list.[442] The following week against the New York Giants, Brady surpassed Peyton Manning to take over second place on the all-time passing yards list, behind only Drew Brees.[443] However, Brady struggled during the second half of the season, and the Patriots lost three of their next five games following an 8–0 start, including back-to-back losses in Weeks 13 and 14 against the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs. Brady's career passer rating dropped from fourth to sixth highest among qualified QBs in NFL history.[444] In Week 15, against the Cincinnati Bengals, Brady moved to within one touchdown of tying Peyton Manning on the all-time passing touchdowns list with 538.[445] In the Patriots’ 34–13 victory, which clinched a spot in the playoffs for an 11th straight season, Brady had 128 passing yards and two touchdowns.[446] In Week 17, Brady's final regular season game as a Patriot, he threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw an interception that was returned by former Patriots teammate Eric Rowe for a touchdown in a 27–24 loss to the Miami Dolphins; this result, combined with a win by the Chiefs, denied New England a first round bye for the first time since 2009. Brady also passed Peyton Manning for the second most touchdown passes in NFL history, with 541.[447]

For the first time since 2008, the year in which he tore his ACL, Brady was not selected to the Pro Bowl.[448] That season as the Patriots' defense that was winning games while the offense was stagnant, Brady told friends that he "felt Belichick had taken the offense for granted because of how good it had been for so long" and said to NBC that he was the "most miserable 8–0 quarterback in the NFL."[433] However, Sporting News would name him their "NFL Athlete of the Decade".[449]

Brady alongside Sony Michel in the AFC Wild Card game against the Tennessee Titans

Despite finishing the regular season with a 12–4 record and winning the AFC East title for the 11th consecutive year, the Patriots were forced to start their postseason run in the Wild Card Round for the first time since 2009, where they faced the Tennessee Titans. With his team trailing by a 14–13 score and pinned back on their own 1-yard line with 15 seconds left in the game, Brady's 37th and final pass attempt of the game – and his last pass attempt as a Patriot – was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by former teammate and Titans cornerback Logan Ryan, which effectively sealed the 20–13 win for Tennessee.[450][451] The loss ended the Patriots' chance of advancing to their fourth consecutive Super Bowl appearance, which would have matched a feat that only one other team, the 1990–93 Buffalo Bills, had accomplished. In addition, this also marked the first time since the 2010 season in which the Patriots did not reach the AFC Championship Game, ending their NFL record run of eight consecutive AFC title game appearances. The loss to the Titans was Brady's final game as a New England Patriot; on March 17, 2020, the day before his contract with the Patriots expired, Brady announced that he would not re-sign with the team for the 2020 season, ending his 20-year tenure in New England.[452]

After Brady signed with Tampa Bay, billboards thanking Brady for his 20 years were posted alongside the Massachusetts Turnpike, a mile from Gillette Stadium and ten other locations around New England.[453]

Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on March 20, 2020. The two-year contract was worth $50 million in fully guaranteed money, with up to $4.5 million each year in incentives. The deal also included a no-trade and a no-tag clause.[454] Although his career number of 12 was already taken, Chris Godwin agreed to give it to Brady and switched to number 14.[455]

In April 2020, Brady was reunited with his former Patriots teammate Rob Gronkowski when the tight end came out of retirement and was traded to the Buccaneers.[456] Head coach Bruce Arians stated that it was Brady himself who was adamant for the team to trade for Gronkowski.[457]

Brady against the Washington Football Team in the 2020 playoffs

Making his Buccaneers debut in New Orleans against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints on September 13, Brady started his first game as the oldest current player of the season, He completed 23 of 36 passes for 239 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions and scored a rushing touchdown as the Saints defeated the Buccaneers by a score of 34–23.[458] Brady bounced back with three solid performances as the Buccaneers won their next three games, including a Week 4 performance against the Los Angeles Chargers in which he completed 30 of 46 passes for 369 yards, five touchdowns, and an interception.[459] Brady's five touchdowns in the Buccaneers' 38–31 win against the Chargers marked the seventh time in his career he had had five touchdowns in a game and, at age 43, made him the oldest quarterback to have a five-touchdown game.[460] Brady's Week 4 performance earned him the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award for the first time in his career.[461] In Week 5, against the Chicago Bears, Brady threw for 253 yards and a touchdown during the 20–19 loss. On a fourth down with 33 seconds left in the game, Brady threw an incomplete pass and held up four fingers after the throw. This led many to believe that Brady lost track of what down it was, but Brady later said that he knew it was fourth down.[462] In Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Brady passed for 369 yards and four touchdowns, in addition to rushing for a touchdown, in the 45–20 victory.[463] As a result of his performance during October (1,157 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, 1 rushing touchdown, and 1 interception from Weeks 4–7) Brady was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month.[464] In Week 9 against New Orleans, Brady threw for 209 yards and three interceptions during the 38–3 loss. This was the most lopsided loss of Brady's career.[465] However, Brady bounced back in Week 10 against the Carolina Panthers with 341 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown for a passer rating of 124.0 in the 46–23 victory.[466] In Week 15 against the Atlanta Falcons, Brady threw for 390 yards and two touchdowns during the 31–27 comeback victory.[467] In Week 16 against the Detroit Lions, Brady completed 22 out of 27 attempts with 348 passing yards, four touchdowns, and a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in the first half before being rested in the 2nd half and replaced by Blaine Gabbert during the 47–7 victory. The win also ended a 13-year playoff drought for the Buccaneers.[468] He closed out the regular season with 399 passing yards, four touchdowns, and one interception in a 44–27 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17.[469] Overall, he finished the 2020 season with 4,633 passing yards, 40 passing touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.[470]

In the Wild Card Round of the playoffs against the Washington Football Team, Brady threw for 381 yards and two touchdowns during the 31–23 win. During the game, he became the oldest player to throw a touchdown pass in NFL postseason history.[471]

In the Divisional Round of the playoffs on the road against the New Orleans Saints, Brady threw for 199 yards and 2 touchdowns while rushing for 1 touchdown in the 30–20 win. Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Brady are both over 40 years old, and are first and second in career touchdown passes and career passing yards, so the game was hyped as the potential final match up between the two stars.[472][473] Brady extended his record of Conference Championship game appearances to 14 (having earned 13 with New England), doubling the second entry on the list (held by Joe Montana, who had 7).[474][475][476][477]

In the NFC Championship, Brady had 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in a 31–26 victory over Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.[478] This gives Brady his record-extending tenth Super Bowl Appearance, makes Brady the fourth quarterback to lead two different teams to the Super Bowl and the second after Craig Morton to reach the Super Bowl from both conferences, while the Buccaneers become the first team to reach the Super Bowl hosted in their home stadium.[479][480][481]

‡ Career totals accurate through week 17 of the 2020 regular season.[482]

• Most games won by a quarterback: 263
• Most games played by a quarterback: 345
• Most games started by a quarterback: 343
• Most games played by a skill position player: 345
• Most games started by a skill position player: 343
• Most combined passing yards: 91,452
• Most combined touchdown passes: 661
• Most game-winning drives: 61
• Most fourth quarter comebacks: 48

• Most games won by a quarterback: 230[485]
• Most games 2+ touchdown passes: 173
• Most players throwing a touchdown pass to: 77
• Best touchdown to interception ratio in a season: 28:2[486]
• Most wins on the road by a quarterback: 98[487]
• Most wins at home by a quarterback: 121[488]
• Only quarterback to have three consecutive games with 300+ passing yards, 3+ Touchdown-passes and 0 interceptions[489]
• Most seasons with 35+ touchdown passes (5) (tied)
• Most starts (299)
• Oldest quarterback to lead the league in passing yards: 40 (4,577 yards: 2017)[490]
• Most yards in a single season for a quarterback aged 40 and older (age 43): 4,633[490]
• Oldest player to win NFL MVP: 40[93]
• Oldest position player to be named first-team All-Pro: 40[491]
• Most career passing yards with one team: 74,571[93]
• Most career passing touchdowns with one team: 541[492]
• Most Pro Bowl Selections: 14 (tied)[493]
• Most seasons quarterbacking for one team: 19[494]
• Most career pass attempts: 10,598
• Most career touchdown passes: 581
• Most seasons as passing touchdowns leader: 4 (tied)[495]
• Most consecutive 10 win seasons as starting QB: 12 (tied with Peyton Manning)
• Most consecutive 11 win seasons as starting QB: 11
• Most consecutive seasons on a team 9-7 or better: 20
• Most TD Passes in a season as starting QB 40 or older: (2020,40)
• Only NFL QB to ever have 40 Passing TD's in a season in both the AFC (2007,50) and NFC (2020,40)

• Only NFL QB to start three consecutive Super Bowl's and win two of them while starting every game during all three seasons.
• Only NFL QB to lose a Super Bowl (LII) then return and win it (LIII) the very next year while starting every game during both seasons.

Brady attended the 2004 State of the Union Address as a special guest of then-President George W. Bush.[550] In 2004, he told ESPN The Magazine that being a U.S. Senator would be his "craziest ambition".[551][552]

Brady is a friend of former President Donald Trump;[553][554] in 2017, Brady indicated he had known Trump "for 16 years".[555] At a political event in New Hampshire on the day before the 2016 presidential election, Trump said he had received a call from Brady, and that Brady told him "Donald, I support you, you're my friend, and I voted for you." However, after his wife was asked directly on Instagram whether she and Brady backed Trump, Bündchen answered "NO!"[556] After a Trump campaign "Make America Great Again" cap was photographed in Brady's locker, Brady said that Bündchen told him not to discuss politics anymore, which he thought was a "good decision".[557] Brady did not join the New England Patriots in visiting Trump and the White House in April 2017 after their Super Bowl victory, citing "personal family matters".[558]

In an interview with Howard Stern on The Howard Stern Show in April 2020, Brady talked about how Donald Trump had reached out to him to speak at the 2016 Republican National Convention and that he had politely declined, telling Stern: "It was uncomfortable for me because you can't undo things, not that I would undo a friendship, but political support is totally different than the support of a friend." Brady explained that he has known Trump since 2002, when Trump asked him to be a judge in the Miss USA pageant, following Brady leading the Patriots to victory in Super Bowl XXXVI, that Trump used to come to Patriots games, likewise, from time to time Trump would call him, and that the two had golfed together occasionally. That said, Brady just did not see the upside of getting into something so polarizing as a presidential election.[559]        

While there has been speculation that Brady would run for political office,[560] in a 2015 interview he stated he had no interest in doing so.[561][562][563]

In 2018, he endorsed Republican Helen Brady (no relation), who ran unsuccessfully for State Auditor of Massachusetts, losing to Democrat Suzanne Bump.[564][565][566]

Brady's health regimen includes Transcendental Meditation, yoga, an 80/20 diet (meaning 80% alkaline and 20% acidic), early bed time, resistance training and neuroplasticity training.[567]

He and his family adhere to a controversial, strict diet, the "TB12 Method", which has attracted much media attention.[568][569] He advocates drinking half of one's body weight in ounces of water each day and admits to consuming "a couple hundred ounces" daily.[570][571] He avoids most fruits, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, coffee, Gatorade, white sugar, flour, gluten, dairy, soda, cereal, white rice, potatoes, and bread.[572][573]

Brady's teammate and friend, tight end Rob Gronkowski, has followed Brady's plant-based diet plan since 2017 and has also trained with his fitness coach, Alex Guerrero.[574][575] Other professional athletes who follow Brady's diet include quarterback Kirk Cousins[576] and hockey player Mark Scheifele.[577][578]