Patriots Top 5 All-Time QBs: GOATS and Footnotes
What more can be said about Tom Brady? Quite a lot, actually. After that, we have the Steve Grogan Epoch and Mister Footnote to deal with.
After much deliberation, the top quarterback in Patriots history has been determined.
Tom Brady
It’s possible to separate Brady’s career into three distinct Hall of Fame-worthy careers.
Take Brady 2000-04, chop off the rest of his career, and replace it with a short decline phase: a few years as a Pro Bowl alternate for a playoff also ran, one or two years of sliding into the booth. That three-time Super Bowl champion is a Hall of Famer in the vein of Troy Aikman or Bob Griese.
Take Brady 2005-13, chop off everything that came before and after, and replace it with your typical long-time starting quarterback’s rise and fall. That two-time passing leader, two-time touchdown leader and two-time AFC Champion is a Hall of Famer in the vein of Jim Kelly, Fran Tarkenton or a big stats/no rings guy like Dan Fouts.
Take Brady 2014-22, do just about anything you want with his first 13 years, and you would have a late-blooming legend in the John Elway/Steve Young/Y.A. Tittle mold.
There are only a handful of Jerry Rice-level legends whose career can be broken into two Hall of Fame careers. I think Brady is the only player whose greatness can be broken into Hall of Fame trimesters.
"He's done a reasonably good job. I don't think it's been unbelievable. But I've seen a lot worse, too." – Bill Belichick on naming Brady the Patriots starter when Drew Bledsoe was healthy enough to play, November 2001.
Brady had a game manager reputation early in his career, because that’s what he was. He was also a system quarterback; great systems sometimes produce great quarterbacks.