Tom Brady by the numbers: Buccaneers QB built Hall of Fame legacy with Patriots, has edge over Bill Belichick
Written by luck on September 30, 2021
Tom Brady is the only player in NFL history to win seven Super Bowl titles. Already the NFL’s all-time passing touchdown leader, Brady is just 68 yards from surpassing Drew Brees for the league’s all-time passing yards mark — against the team he built his Hall of Fame legacy with.
Brady spent 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, making them an iconic franchise in the NFL. New England built a model of sustained success thanks to Brady, capturing the most Super Bowl championships in league history and making the playoffs in all but one season Brady started more than one game. The Patriots were the definition of consistency with Brady at the helm, a franchise fortunate to employ him for two decades.
Brady’s return to New England is the storyline around the NFL this week. In this week’s edition of “By The Numbers,” let’s take a look back at Brady’s incredible NFL career with the Patriots — and his success post-Bill Belichick. How we’re compiling the all-time rankings are based on Brady’s 20-year career with the Patriots, not including his time with the Buccaneers.
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Most passing yards
- Drew Brees — 80,358
- Tom Brady (career with Patriots) — 74,571
- Peyton Manning — 71,940
- Brett Favre — 71,838
- Philip Rivers — 63,440
Most passing touchdowns
- Drew Brees — 571
- Tom Brady (career with Patriots) — 541
- Peyton Manning — 539
- Brett Favre — 508
- Philip Rivers — 421
Most wins as a starting QB
- Tom Brady (career with Patriots) — 219
- Peyton Manning — 186
- Brett Favre — 186
- Drew Brees — 172
- Ben Roethlisberger — 157
Brady’s career with the Patriots is unlike the NFL has ever seen. His six Super Bowl titles with New England are tied with Herb Adderley, Fuzzy Thurston, and Forrest Gregg for the most championships by a player in NFL history. The Patriots — in turn — have six Super Bowl titles and nine Super Bowl appearances with Brady, the most in NFL history (New England has 11 total Super Bowl appearances, while Pittsburgh has the second most with eight).
Brady has won three NFL MVP awards and three Super Bowl MVP awards with New England (has four Super Bowl MVP awards overall). He’s tied with Joe Montana for the most Super Bowl MVPs in NFL history and only trails Manning for the most MVPs in league history. Brady is the only player in NFL history to throw for more than 70,000 yards and 500 touchdowns with one franchise.
Of course, Brady’s success in New England is tied to Belichick — the greatest quarterback-head coach duo in NFL history.
Most Super Bowl appearances — by QB/head coach duo
- Tom Brady and Bill Belichick — 9
- Terry Bradshaw and Chuck Noll — 4
- Roger Staubach and Tom Landry — 4
- Jim Kelly and Marv Levy — 4
Most wins — QB/head coach duo (including playoffs)
- Tom Brady and Bill Belichick — 249
- Drew Brees and Sean Payton — 144
- Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin — 136
Brady played 20 seasons with the Patriots, the most seasons a player spent with a franchise before switching teams (surpassing Jim Hart’s record with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1966-83). Brady and Belichick spent 20 seasons together, the most by a player-coach duo in the four major North American sports.
Since Brady left New England for Tampa Bay, he’s gotten the better of Belichick. The Patriots are just 8-11 since Brady left, as their quarterbacks have thrown 14 touchdowns to 17 interceptions. Brady has thrown 60 touchdowns to 17 interceptions with the Buccaneers, while going 17-6 with a Super Bowl championship. He joined Manning as the only quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl with two different franchises — and the first to win in both conferences.
Belichick is just 26-30 without Brady as his starting quarterback in New England, and 219-64 with him. Including Belichick’s six seasons as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Belichick is just 63-75 as a head coach with one playoff win. Brady is 13-6 (regular season) with four playoff wins and a Super Bowl victory. Quite the difference.
Brady has certainly gotten the better of Belichick thus far. Belichick and Brady were historic together, but Brady continues to win outside of the Belichick regime.
Regardless of Sunday’s outcome, advantage Brady.
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