So let’s face it… If Novak Djokovic is on his way to becoming the G.O.A.T of Tennis and Lionel Messi is the G.O.A.T of soccer, we can safely say that Tom Brady is the G.O.A.T of Football.
But what makes him the G.O.A.T? Not one thing, not two… let’s say 8?
For example… How about the fact that in each of the three decades of his career, he’s amassed statistical achievements that could see him be inducted to the NFL Hall of Fame three times over.
Of course, there’s only one Tom Brady although a lot of teams would happily fund that cloning programme.
Before we get to all the juicy stats which demonstrate the legacy of the Brady G.O.A.T, let’s take a look at what brought us to this point.
Will it stick?
Earlier this week, Brady made an emotional video for social media in which he tearfully announced he was hanging up the cleats once and for all.
He was saying farewell to a sport which turned him into a globally recognised household name and a legend of American Football.
Of course, this is the second time Brady has announced his retirement but this time he’s called it ‘for good’. Brady had decided back in February 2022, that he was packing it all in after three seasons with the Tampa Buccaneers.
Six weeks later, he would reverse his decision saying there was ‘unfinished business’ to attend to. What he meant was that after losing the 2021 Divisional Round Playoff against the Los Angeles Rams, it wasn’t the high he was hoping for.
Fast forward to the WildCard Round against the Dallas Cowboys in January this year, and the Bucs would crash out.
Again, it wasn’t the high he was seeking but it should it matter? These stats shout louder than his aspirations.
Oh Boy, here we go
We’ll not labour too much on the absolute intricacies of these stats because they speak for themselves.
1. G.O.A.T Winning Record
There is no team in the NFL which has a winning record against Brady and that includes the Playoffs. He’s also only one of four players who has beaten all 32 teams in the franchise.
He joins Brett Favre (1991 – 2010), Peyton Manning (1998 – 2015) & Drew Brees (2001 – 2020) with that accolade.
2. Three in One
He’s managed a Hall of Fame recognised career three times over across his 23 seasons. That’s a total of 89,214 passing yards, 649 Touchdown passes and 7 Super Bowls.
Break that down and it looks like this:
His 20s would see him rack up
21,564 passing yards
147 passing Touchdowns
3 Super Bowls
His 30s would see him rack up
40,018 passing yards
309 passing Touchdowns
2 Super Bowls
His 40s would see him rack up
27,632 passing yards
193 passing Touchdowns
2 Super Bowls
What’s more, Brady managed more touchdowns in his 40s that Troy Aikman did in the span of his 12-year career.
3. 500 Miles… well not quite… more like just over 50!
Combine his over 89,000 passing yards and you have an equivalent trek where you could go up and down Mount Everest around five times. It’s a trek of 5.5 miles to the summit of Everest.
Brady’s passing yards also far exceeds Steve Young’s 73,675. What’s more, it’s almost 40,000 more than the combined 2000 draft class.
4. A ring for you and you
His seven championship rings are the most won in NFL history. To top that off, as the 199th pick of 2000, he’s won enough to give one to each of the six Quarterbacks which were selected before him.
We’re talking about Chad Pennington, Giovanni Carmazzi, Chris Redman, Tee Martin, Marc Bulger, Spergon Wynn.
5. 5% ouch
When you compare Tom Brady’s chances of reaching the Super Bowl versus NBA star Stephen Curry’s chances of making a three pointer, it’s a difference of 5%.
Brady made the Super Bowl 10 times of out 21 season while playing as a full-time starter. That’s 48%. That’s 5% greater than Curry is to perform his famous 3-point shoot on the hoop, 43%.
6. Still playing
Brady managed to stay in the game so long that there are 6 players who started after him and were already inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Calvin Johnson – Detroit Lions (2007 – 2015) Elected to Hall of Fame in 2021
Troy Polamalu – Pittsburgh Steelers (2003 – 2014) Elected Hall of Fame in 2020
Ed Reed – Baltimore Ravens (2002 – 2013) Elected to Hall of Fame in 2019
Steve Hutchinson – Seattle Seahawks / Minnesota Vikings / Tennessee Titans (2001 – 2012) Elected to Hall of Fame in 2020
LaDainan Tomlinson – San Diego Chargers (2001 – 2011) Elected to Hall of Fame in 2017
Richard Seymour – New England Patriots / Oakland Raiders (2001 – 2012) Elected to Hall of Fame in 2022
7. Receiving yards
Finally, something Brady is second at! He’s ranked 2nd in NFL history for collecting 6 receiving yards after he turned 40.
The first is Jerry Rice who has 2,509.
8. Big bucks coming
Brady made $333M playing in the NFL, the highest earnings of any NFL player in history. But when he makes the switch to broadcasting, he’s going to see that bump up.
He’s understood to have accepted a 10-year contract with Fox Sports which will pay him $375M.
So that’s our list. Did we miss any? Let us know over on our William Hill Sports Facebook page.
