Quarterback Tom Brady‘s legacy transcends the statistics he produced over a 22-season career, but his records and achievements have set a bar that will be hard to top.
Brady rewrote much of the NFL record book with personal and team accomplishments that spanned 20 seasons with the New England Patriots and the last two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
One of the few goals he didn’t reach? Leaving with back-to-back titles with the Bucs, but that doesn’t diminish his reputation as the greatest quarterback in NFL history.
Here are some of the ways Brady left his mark on the game and the reasons he’s considered the GOAT.
22 NFL seasons (20 for Patriots, two for Buccaneers)
Most touchdown passes in NFL history (624)
Only quarterback with 600 career touchdown passes in the regular season
Most passing yards in NFL history (84,520)
243 career regular-season wins, most in NFL history
Most playoff wins in NFL history (35)
Thirty-five career playoff wins are 19 more than any other QB (Joe Montana was second with 16)
Most Super Bowl appearances (10) and wins (seven) in NFL history
Five-time Super Bowl MVP, most in NFL history
All-time playoff leader in touchdown passes (86), passing yards (13,049) and completions (1,165)
Fifteen-time Pro Bowl selection, most in NFL history
Three-time NFL MVP (2007, 2010, 2017)
2009 Comeback Player of the Year
Named to NFL 100 All-Time Team (one of 10 QBs)
Second player in NFL history to lead the league in both passing yards and passing TDs in his final season. The other was Cecil Isbell, who did it for the 1942 Packers when there were 10 teams in the league.
Brady’s career-high 5,316 passing yards and 43 passing TDs are the most by a player in their final season in NFL history.
Ninety-two different players caught a touchdown from Brady, including in the playoffs. That’s the most different targets on touchdowns in NFL history.
First player to win NFL championships in three different decades (Elias)
First QB to start a Super Bowl win for a team in both conferences
First player in NFL history to win multiple titles after turning 40 (Elias)
Fourth player in NFL/MLB/NHL/NBA history to win multiple titles after turning 40 (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Enos Slaughter, Jack Quinn were the others)
Second QB to win Super Bowl in first season with team (Trent Dilfer was the first in 2000)
Brady has more Super Bowl wins than any franchise all-time (Patriots and Steelers have six each, 49ers and Cowboys have five each). In addition, Brady has 35 career postseason wins, more than 29 active franchises (all except for the Patriots, Steelers, and Packers).
Brady is the oldest player to win a championship-round MVP in NFL/NBA/MLB/NHL history, per Elias. He’s also the oldest player (43) to ever appear in a Super Bowl.
Brady threw for 74,571 yards and 541 touchdowns with the Patriots, which both rank as the most for a single team in NFL history.
Including playoffs, Brady’s 135 wins and 304 touchdowns at Gillette Stadium were the most by any QB at one stadium in NFL history. The only other QB with 100-plus wins at one stadium including the postseason is John Elway at Mile High Stadium (104).
Brady and Patriots coach Bill Belichick made nine Super Bowl appearances in 20 seasons together, which is more than any other team across NFL history. They have also combined to register the most Super Bowl appearances and wins by a starting QB-head coach combination in NFL history.
There has never been another player and head coach duo to spend 20 seasons together in NFL/NBA/NHL/MLB history. Their 249 wins including the playoffs are the most by any starting QB-head duo all time.
Brady won his final league MVP award in the 2017 season when he was 40 years old, becoming the oldest player in NFL/NBA/NHL/MLB history to win league MVP honors. The only other 40-year-old to achieve the feat is Barry Bonds in 2004. We’ll find out if Brady will win his fourth MVP on Feb. 12.
Courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information.