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Tom Brady Biography
Tom Brady born Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr., is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He was born on August 3, 1977 in San Mateo, California, to Galynn Patricia and Thomas Brady, Sr.
Brady attended Junípero Serra High School in San Mateo, where he graduated in 1995. He played football, basketball, and baseball in high school. Brady’s football career started as the backup quarterback on the Padres junior varsity team. By Brady’s senior year, he struggled getting on the radar of college coaches. He created highlight tapes and sent them out to schools he would consider attending. He finished his high school football career completing 236 of 447 passes for 3,702 yards and 31 touchdowns. He also won All-State and All-Far West honors as well as the team’s Most Valuable Player Award.
Brady was recruited by Michigan assistant Bill Harris, and he signed to play for the University of Michigan in 1995. Brady played college football for the University of Michigan from 1995 to 1999. He was a backup quarterback for his first two years, while teammate and future NFL quarterback Brian Griese led the 1997 Wolverines to an undefeated season, which was capped by a victory in the Rose Bowl and a share of the national championship.
Tom Brady Age
He was born on August 3, 1977.
Tom Brady Wife
Brady began dating Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen in December 2006. In 2009, Brady revealed they had been set up on a blind date by a mutual friend. Brady and Bündchen married on February 26, 2009, in an intimate Catholic ceremony in Santa Monica, California.
Tom Brady Children
Together with Gisele Bündchen, they have two children: a son named Benjamin Rein Brady was born December 8, 2009, and a daughter named Vivian Lake was born December 5, 2012. Brady dated actress Bridget Moynahan from 2004 until late 2006. On February 18, 2007, Moynahan confirmed to People magazine that she was more than three months pregnant with Brady’s child. Brady and Moynahan ended their relationship sometime in early December 2006, around the time Moynahan became pregnant. John Edward Thomas Moynahan, was born on August 22, 2007, at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, John’s middle names are Brady’s own first and middle names in reverse order, while Moynahan’s father’s first name is Edward.
Tom Brady Family
His parents are Galynn Patricia and Thomas Brady, Sr. He is the only son and the fourth child in the family. His three older sisters are Nancy, Julie, and Maureen. His father is of Irish descent, while his mother has Norwegian, Polish, and Swedish ancestry and whose great-great-grandparents, John and Bridget Brady, were Irish refugees from the Great Famine who moved to San Francisco from Boston prior to the American Civil War with Bridget’s sister Ann and her husband Lawrence Meegan, who were the parents of the 19th Century American Major League Baseball player “Steady” Pete Meegan. Brady’s great uncle, Michael Buckley Jr. was, also, the first American prisoner of war during World War II.
Tom Brady Salary
He is reported to be earning a salary of $36.1 M.
Tom Brady Net worth
His net worth is estimated to be $180 million.
Tom Brady Contract
Tom Brady signed a 2 year, $41,000,000 contract with the New England Patriots, including a $28,000,000 signing bonus, $28,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $20,500,000. In 2018, Brady will earn a base salary of $14,000,000 and a roster bonus of $1,000,000, while carrying a cap hit of $22,000,000 and a dead cap value of $28,000,000.
Tom Brady Records
Tom Brady already has the record for the most wins as a starter thanks to his extensive postseason success. He now stands alone in first place for the most regular-season wins with his 187th career victory, which came over the New York Jets. Now Brady’s at 196 regular-season wins, and it feels like his 196th NFL record.
But Brady doesn’t own many regular season records. Almost all of the all-time marks that belong to the New England Patriots quarterback are postseason bests. He also owns just about every Super Bowl record, thanks to eight trips to the big game.
Now in his 18th season — and probably not his last — Brady still has time to track down more records before he calls it a career. He wants to play until he’s 45, and if he does, he could rewrite the record books. Even if he plays until he’s 42 or 43, there are a few within reach.
With the wins record now under his belt, here are all the major records owned by the New England Patriots quarterback and the ones he still has a chance to topple.
Records Owned By Brady
- Regular season wins by a starting quarterback (196)
- Division titles (15)
- Playoff games started (37)
- Playoff wins (25)
- Playoff touchdown passes (71)
- Playoff passing yards (10,226)
- Super Bowl appearances (8)
- Super Bowl wins (5)
- Super Bowl MVPs (4)
- Super Bowl touchdown passes (18)
- Super Bowl passing yards (2,576)
Tom Brady Jersey
Tom Brady Jersey
Tom Brady Patriots
2001 season
With Bledsoe as the starting quarterback, the Patriots opened the season with a 23–17 loss at Cincinnati. 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. New York would hold on to win, 10–3, and the Patriots fell to 0–2 on the season. 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 victory over the Colts (in their last season in the AFC East) and a 30–10 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
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 pass completions on 54 attempts, for 364 yards, and two touchdowns and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career.
The following week, Brady again played well during the rematch at Indianapolis, with a passer rating of 148.3 in a 38–17 win. 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. 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. Brady finished the 2001 season with 2,843 passing yards and 18 touchdowns and earned an invitation to the 2002 Pro Bowl.
2001 postseason
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 that game. Trailing by three points in the fourth quarter, Brady lost control of the ball after being hit by Raiders’ cornerback 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.
In the AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brady injured his knee, and was relieved by Bledsoe. The Patriots won the game by a score of 24–17 and were immediately instituted by Las Vegas oddsmakers as 14-point underdogs against the NFC champion St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.
Brady returned from his knee injury in the AFC Championship Game to start in Super Bowl XXXVI a week later 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 said he thought the Patriots should run out the clock and try to win the game in overtime. Instead, Brady drove the Patriots’ offense down the field to the Rams’ 31-yard line before spiking the ball with seven seconds left. Then 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.
Brady was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXVI 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. A possible quarterback controversy was averted when Bledsoe was traded to the Buffalo Bills during the offseason; this event cemented Brady’s status as the starting quarterback.
2002 season
In the 2002 season opener, Brady had 294 passing yards and three touchdowns in the 30–14 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers to earn his third AFC Offensive of the Week title. In Week 9, in 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. Brady and the Patriots finished the year 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 the third tiebreaker, and the Patriots missed the playoffs.
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 and 921 more yards than in the 2001 season. However, Brady played much of the second half of the season with a shoulder injury, and New England head coach Bill Belichick later indicated that Brady would not have been able to play in their first playoff game if the Patriots had made the playoffs.
2003 season
After opening the 2003 NFL season with a 2–2 start, Brady led the Patriots to twelve consecutive victories to finish the regular season in winning the AFC East. In Week 9, against the Denver Broncos, he had 350 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in the 30–26 victory to earn his fifth AFC Offensive Player of the Week honor.
Statistically, Brady’s strongest game of the season was in Week 17 against the division rival Buffalo Bills, when he achieved a season-high quarterback rating of 122.9, and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week. Brady finished with 3,620 passing yards and 23 touchdowns, and was third in NFL MVP voting to co-winners Peyton Manning and Steve McNair.
2003 postseason
In the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Patriots defeated the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts. On February 1, 2004, Brady led the Patriots to a 32–29 victory over the NFC champion Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII 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 engineered a drive to put the Patriots in position for the game-winning 41-yard field goal by Vinatieri.
2004 season
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).
New England finished with a 14–2 record, equaling their 2003 record and the best regular-season record ever for a defending champion. The Patriots also won the AFC East divisional title for the third time in four years. Brady threw for 3,692 yards and 28 touchdowns, with a 92.6 passer rating, and was voted to his second Pro Bowl.
2004 postseason
In the AFC playoffs, Brady led the Patriots to victories over the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brady played his best game of the year in Pittsburgh despite requiring intravenous treatment the previous night when he ran a temperature of 103°. Against the NFL’s best defense, he recorded a quarterback passer rating of 130.5, his highest of the season. On February 6, 2005, the Patriots narrowly defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 24–21, to win Super Bowl XXXIX. Brady threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns while capturing the Patriots’ third championship in four years.
2005 season
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. 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, he had 350 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception to earn AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Brady finished first in the league with 4,110 passing yards and third in the league with 26 touchdowns. 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. He rushed for 89 yards and fumbled a career-low four times. He and the Patriots finished with a 10–6 record, winning their third straight AFC East title. He was named to his third Pro Bowl at the end of the season.
2005 postseason
In the playoffs, Brady led the Patriots to a 28–3 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card Round; however, on January 14, 2006, the Patriots lost 27–13 to the Denver Broncos at INVESCO Field. 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. After the season’s end, it was revealed that Brady had been playing with a sports hernia since December. Linebacker Willie McGinest commented on it and said he knew, but Brady continued playing.
2006 season
Brady led the Patriots to a 12–4 record and the fourth seed in the AFC playoffs. In the regular season, Brady threw for 3,529 yards and 24 touchdowns. He was not among the players initially selected to the Pro Bowl, although he was offered an injury-replacement selection when San Diego Chargers Philip Rivers was forced to withdraw (which he declined).
2006 postseason
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. In the Divisional Round, the Patriots traveled to San Diego to take on the Chargers. 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. 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 win.
In the AFC Championship, the Patriots faced the Indianapolis Colts. The Patriots and Colts had faced each other twice in the previous three postseasons at Foxborough; this game, however, was played at Indianapolis. The Patriots led at halftime, 21–6; however, the Colts and Peyton Manning staged a comeback, culminating in a last minute interception thrown by Brady, and the Patriots lost the game to the Colts, 34–38.
2007 season
Playing with a dramatically overhauled receiver corps—in the 2007 offseason, 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 some sportswriters described as one of the best seasons by a quarterback.The average score of a 2007 Patriots regular-season game would be 37–17 by the end of the year. Brady led the Patriots to the first 16–0 regular-season record in league history, outscoring opponents by more than a 2-to-1 margin, but 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 separate times that year. While away at Dallas, he had a career-high five passing touchdowns in a 48–27 win. The win tied him with Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach for the most wins ever by a starting quarterback in his first 100 regular-season games, with 76. The next week, in part of a 49–28 win at Miami, he had yet another record day, with six passing touchdowns, setting a franchise record.
He also had the first perfect passer rating of his career. 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. During the last game of the year, Brady threw two touchdown passes; his second touchdown was his 50th, breaking Peyton Manning’s 2004 record of 49.
2007 postseason
In the Patriots’ first playoff game, an AFC 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 is the highest single-game completion percentage (for passers with at least 20 attempts) in NFL history, regular season or postseason. 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 three interceptions (including his first interception in the red zone since the playoff loss to Denver in the 2005 postseason). 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.
In Super Bowl XLII, Brady was pressured heavily and sacked five times. The Patriots did manage 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 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.
2008 season
Brady did not play in any games during the 2008 preseason or in the 2008 Pro Bowl due to two different foot injuries. In the Patriots’ 2008 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.
Brady tore both his anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament. The injury ended Brady’s streak of 111 consecutive starts (seventh in the list of most consecutive starts by an NFL quarterback, behind Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Ron Jaworski, and Joe Flacco). 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.
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. 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.
2009 season
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 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. Brady was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the 13th time in his career for his performance.
On October 18, 2009, in an early season snowstorm, Brady set an NFL record against the Tennessee Titans for most touchdowns in a single quarter, throwing five in the second quarter. Brady finished the game with six touchdowns, tying his career best, and 380 yards, completing 29-of-34 attempts, finishing with a nearly perfect passer rating of 152.8. He earned his second AFC Offensive Player of the Week nod for his efforts against the Titans. The Patriots’ 59–0 victory over the Titans tied the record for the largest margin of victory since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, and set a record for largest halftime lead in NFL history, which was 45–0.
Brady finished the 2009 regular season with 4,398 yards passing and 28 touchdowns for a 96.2 rating, despite a broken right ring finger and three fractured ribs, all which were suffered over the course of the season. He was selected as a reserve to the 2010 Pro Bowl and named the 2009 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
2009 postseason
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 first playoff loss at home by a Patriots quarterback since 1978 (Steve Grogan).
2010 season
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.
Brady became the quickest quarterback to achieve 100 regular season wins by helping his team defeat the Miami Dolphins 41–14 on October 4, 2010.
In a 31–28 win over the Indianapolis Colts on November 21, 2010, Brady tied Brett Favre’s record of winning 25 consecutive regular-season home starts. Brady’s last regular-season defeat at home was a 17–14 loss to the New York Jets on November 12, 2006. 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.
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.
Brady threw for 3,900 yards with 36 touchdowns and only four interceptions on the season. 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.
Brady was selected as a starter to the 2011 Pro Bowl. However, he pulled out of the game (and was replaced by former backup Matt Cassel of the Kansas City Chiefs) after undergoing surgery for a stress fracture in his right foot dating back to 2008. 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. On the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011 players’ list, Brady was ranked as the best player in the NFL by his fellow players.
2010 postseason
After earning the #1 seed and a bye week, the Patriots lost to the New York Jets in the Divisional Round by a score of 28–21. Brady finished the game 29-of-45 for 299 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. His one interception ended his NFL record of consecutive passes without an interception at 340.
2011 season
In Week 1 of the 2011 NFL season, Brady threw for 517 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception in a 38–24 victory over the Miami Dolphins and earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. This was the second time that he had thrown for 400 or more yards in a single game. In the game, he threw a record-tying 99-yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker in the second quarter. 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.
In Week 16, in the second divisional game 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. In the regular season finale against the Buffalo Bills, Brady became the fourth quarterback to throw for 5,000 yards in a single 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’s 5,476. In the end, the Patriots finished the season 13–3 and clinched the AFC’s #1 seed. 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.
2011 postseason
.In the Patriots’ 45–10 rout of 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. The win, his first postseason win since January 2008, gave Brady and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick sole possession of the NFL record for postseason wins by a quarterback-head coach combo with 15.
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 the Patriots to the Super Bowl for the fifth time since Brady joined the team.
In Super Bowl XLVI, Brady and the Patriots met the New York Giants in a rematch of their Super Bowl XLII meeting four years earlier. Brady played well, leading a Super Bowl record-tying 96-yard touchdown drive to close the first half and at one point completing 16 passes in a row to give him a 20-of-23 mark partway into the third quarter, another Super Bowl record. Brady threw two touchdowns against one interception, and was penalized for intentional grounding in the end zone, giving up a crucial safety to the Giants. A final score of 21–17 for the Giants prevented Brady from winning his fourth Super Bowl.
2012 season
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. 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.
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. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the eighth time in his career. On the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013, Brady was ranked fourth by his fellow players for the second consecutive time.
2012 postseason
Brady started both Patriots playoff games, winning 41–28 against the Houston Texans. With the victory, Brady surpassed Joe Montana for most career playoff wins, with 17. The Patriots were then upset by the eventual Super Bowl XLVII champion Baltimore Ravens, 28–13 in the AFC Championship.
On February 25, 2013, Brady and the Patriots agreed on a three-year contract extension, which kept him with the team through 2017. 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.
2013 season
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.
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. 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.
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. With the win, Brady earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
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. 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 offseason.
2013 postseason
Brady’s Patriots finished the season 12–4, to earn the second seed in the AFC and a first-round bye. 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 LeGarrette Blount. The following week, the Patriots lost 26–16 to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship, eliminating Brady and the Patriots from the playoffs.
2014 season
Brady started the 2014 season with a 33–20 loss to the Miami Dolphins. 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. Against the Oakland Raiders, Brady was pressured all day, but threw for 234 yards and a touchdown in 16–9 win.
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. Brady then defeated the New York Jets with a 261-yard performance that included three touchdowns. The following week, a 51–23 embarrassment of the Chicago Bears saw Brady throw for 354 yards and a season-high five touchdowns.
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. 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.
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. 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. 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.
2014 postseason
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. 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 Danny Amendola. Ravens kicker Justin Tucker drilled a 25-yard field goal to give Baltimore a 31–28 4th 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, up 35–31. 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. 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.
In Super Bowl XLIX, 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. He was named Super Bowl MVP for the third time, tying Montana’s record. 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.
2015 offseason
Further information: DeflategateOn May 6, 2015, the NFL published a 243-page report regarding the deflation of footballs used in the previous season’s AFC Championship Game. 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. 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.”
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.” Brady, through the NFL Players Association, officially appealed the suspension on May 14.
On July 28, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the upholding of Brady’s four game suspension. Brady gave permission to the NFLPA to appeal the suspension in federal court. Goodell cited Brady’s destruction of his cell phone as a critical factor in his decision to uphold Brady’s suspension. The NFL also filed papers in federal court seeking to confirm Roger Goodell’s decision. 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.”
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.” 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. Others described the punishment as “firm but fair”.
On September 3, 2015, 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. Post-appeal commentary also criticized Goodell for “manipulating Brady’s testimony” at the appeal hearing in his decision.
2015 regular season
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. 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. In Week 2, Brady followed up his Week 1 performance by throwing 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. In Week 8, a 36–7 victory over the Miami Dolphins, he had 356 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn his 25th AFC Offensive Player of the Week title.
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 Broncos, who were without Peyton Manning, in Denver on the Sunday after Thanksgiving following a 10–0 start. 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. Denver 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 Cincinnati. Brady finished the regular season with a league-leading 36 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. 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.
2015 postseason
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. The Patriots advanced to the AFC Championship at Mile High Stadium 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 harassed Brady, who completed 27-of-56 passes with two interceptions and a touchdown, all day, and the Patriots eventually lost the game 20–18 after a potential game-tying two-point conversion attempt failed with 17 seconds left in regulation.
2016 season
2016 offseason
On February 29, 2016, Brady signed a two-year contract extension covering the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Three days later, 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 March 3, 2016, hearing in New York City, the three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit questioned Players Association lawyer Jeffrey L. Kessler more intensely than NFL lawyer Paul Clement, with Circuit Judge Denny Chin even stating that “the evidence of ball tampering is compelling, if not overwhelming.”
On April 25, 2016, Judge Richard M. Berman’s decision to block Brady’s four-game suspension was overturned by the U.S. Appeals Court. 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”. 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.”
On May 23, 2016, Brady appealed for his case to be reheard by the full U.S. 2nd Circuit Court. The 2nd Circuit Court denied Brady’s request for an en banc hearing on July 13. Two days later, on Friday, July 15, 2016, Brady announced on his Facebook page that he would give up his Deflategate fight and accept his suspension for the first four regular season games of the 2016 season. Prior to Brady’s suspension, he had not missed a single regular season or postseason game since the start of the 2009 season.
2016 regular 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. 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. In Week 7, Brady completed 19 of 26 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns as New England defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 27–16. The next week, the Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills 41–25, with Brady completing 22-of-33 passes for 315 yards and four touchdowns. Brady’s outstanding numbers during his first four games following the suspension earned him the AFC Offensive Player of the Month award for October.
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. 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. Those four touchdown passes also gave him 444 career regular season touchdown passes with one team, breaking Brett Favre’s record. 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.
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. 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. The Patriots’ win against the Rams gave Brady his 201st career victory, including playoff games, breaking Peyton Manning’s record of 200. 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 on Monday Night Football.
The next week, Brady completed 16-of-32 passes for 188 yards in a 16–3 victory in Denver. 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. On December 20, 2016, Brady was named to the Pro Bowl for the eighth straight season and 12th time overall. 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.
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. 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. 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. Brady was also was 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.
2016 postseason
Brady and the Patriots began their postseason run in the Divisional Round, hosting the Houston Texans, who had 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. The Patriots then defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 36–17. Against the Steelers, Brady completed 32-of-42 passes for 384 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. 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.
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. 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 marched the Patriots down the field to score a touchdown and win the game by a score of 34–28, 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.
After the game, it was discovered that Brady’s jersey had gone missing from the Patriots’ locker room at NRG Stadium. 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.
Record seventh conference title as a quarterback–head coach tandem, and the Patriots an NFL record ninth Super Bowl appearance.
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. 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 marched the Patriots down the field to score a touchdown and win the game by a score of 34–28, 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.
After the game, it was discovered that Brady’s jersey had gone missing from the Patriots’ locker room at NRG Stadium. 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.
2017 season
2017 offseason
On May 12, 2017, Brady was announced as the cover athlete for Madden NFL 18.
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.”
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”. Brady’s agent, Don Yee, said that Brady was not diagnosed with a concussion during the 2016 season.
2017 regular season
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. 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. He finished the game with 447 passing yards and three touchdowns, earning him his 28th AFC Offensive Player of the Week award.
This broke the record previously held by Peyton Manning for the most AFC Offensive Player of the Week awards in a career. 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, and the 29th for his career. In Week 4, Brady played well again, throwing for 307 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, but the Carolina Panthers upset the Patriots 33–30 on a last second field goal from Graham Gano as time expired.
In the Patriots’ next game, a narrow 19–14 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football, Brady completed 30 out of 40 passes for 303 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. With this victory, Brady became the third quarterback in NFL history to record 186 career regular season victories, tying Peyton Manning and Brett Favre for the most such wins of any quarterback in NFL history.
On October 10, it was unveiled that Brady was diagnosed with an AC joint sprain in his left (non-throwing) shoulder. During Week 6 against the New York Jets, Brady threw for 257 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception as the Patriots won 24–17. Brady obtained his 187th career win, setting the record for most regular season wins in NFL history.
The next week, the Patriots hosted the Atlanta Falcons in a rematch of Super Bowl LI on Sunday Night Football. Brady was efficient, completing 21 of 29 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns as the Patriots defeated the Falcons, 23–7. The following week, Brady completed 32-of-47 passes for 333 yards and one touchdown in a 21–13 win against the Los Angeles Chargers. With the win against the Chargers, the Patriots headed into their bye week with an AFC best 6–2 record.
Coming off their bye week, Brady and the Patriots traveled to Denver for a Sunday Night Football match against the Denver Broncos. The Patriots dominated the game, winning 41-16, with Brady completing 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. 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 for a special regular season match with the Oakland Raiders.
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 Dolphins, Brady finished with 227 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, and an interception as the Patriots won 35-17. Brady became the first quarterback at age 40 to throw for 4 touchdowns in a game. Brady was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for November. 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 wasn’t his first incident with McDainels, with whom he had worked together for 13 years, with a “fruitful” relationship. The following week, the Patriots traveled to Miami to face the Dolphins on Monday Night Football. The Dolphins held off a late comeback attempt to defeat the Patriots 27-20, with Brady completing 24 of 43 passes for 233 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions.
In Week 15, Brady completed 22 of 35 passes for 298 yards, a touchdown, and an interception as he led the Patriots to a 27–24 comeback victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers. With this victory, the Patriots secured their ninth straight AFC East division title. On December 19, Brady was selected to the Pro Bowl for the 13th time in his career. On Christmas Eve against the Buffalo Bills, Brady completed 21 of 28 passes for 224 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception as the Patriots won their twelfth game of the season, 37–16.
With this win, combined with a loss by the Jacksonville Jaguars later in the day, the Patriots clinched a first-round bye for the eighth straight year. In the regular season finale against the New York Jets on New Year’s Eve, Brady completed 18 of 37 passes for 190 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions in a 26-6 victory. With the win, the Patriots clinched home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
Brady finished the 2017 regular season as the NFL’s passing yards leader with 4,577 passing yards, making him the oldest player ever to lead the league in passing yards. He was named a first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press for the third time in his career. Earning 40 of 50 votes, Brady was named the NFL Most Valuable Player for the third time in his career.
2017 postseason
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 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions in a 35-14 Patriots victory. 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. Despite this injury, Brady managed to start the AFC Championship Game, where the Patriots faced off against 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 yards, 2 touchdowns, and no interceptions.
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, the Patriots faced off against the Philadelphia Eagles and their second-string quarterback Nick Foles.
Brady completed 28 passes on 48 attempts for 3 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. Despite Brady’s efforts, the Eagles still managed to beat the Patriots in a shootout with a final score of 41-33. This was the third time overall that Brady had lost in a Super Bowl, as well as 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.
Tom Brady 40 Yard Dash
Tom Brady Super Bowl Wins
Brady led the Pats to wins in Super Bowls XXXVI (2002), XXXVIII (2004), XXXIX (2005), XLIX (2015) and LI (2017), winning MVP four of five times (his receiver Deion Branch won the other in XXXIX).
The quarterback holds nearly every major Super Bowl record for a quarterback. Perhaps the most notable new mark: Brady passed Joe Montana with his fourth Super Bowl MVP award against the Falcons.