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Revisiting the Great Moments of Tom Brady’s NFL Career
From game-worn jerseys and sneakers to footballs and more, these objects tell the story of the GOAT’s 23 seasons in the National Football League.
A s I reflect on the journey that has brought me to this point, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and appreciation for the incredible support I’ve received over the years.
On the field, I’ve been fortunate to achieve some amazing milestones, but it’s the lessons learned, the relationships built and the challenges faced that have shaped me the most. Football has been a gift, no doubt, but it’s the opportunity to impact lives – whether through the excitement of the game, the lessons of perseverance or the chance to give back – that I hold closest to my heart.
Off the field, I’ve worked hard to leverage the platform that the sport provided me, focusing on areas that I believe can make a lasting difference. Whether it’s through my TB12 health and wellness brand, my commitment to charity or my investments in businesses and projects that aim to drive innovation, my goal has always been to create a positive impact. It’s about more than just success. It’s about ensuring that the work we do can help others lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.
One of the exciting new chapters I’m thrilled to announce is my partnership with Sotheby’s, where I will be offering a selection of some of my most prized possessions from my football career, as well as a collection of watches that have been a big part of my personal journey.
While I’m proud of these accomplishments, I’m far from done. The next chapter is about continuing to challenge myself in new ways. I’m excited about the opportunities to push the boundaries of what’s possible – whether in business, mentorship or other ventures where I can use my experiences to elevate others and leave a positive legacy. It’s not about fame or recognition, but about making a difference that goes beyond the gridiron.
– Tom Brady
Highlights from Tom Brady’s Career
Brady is recruited to play at the University of Michigan. He is seventh on the depth chart when he gets to campus and is redshirted his freshman year.
In his redshirt sophomore year, Brady continued to mature behind starting quarterback Brian Griese while earning the first major team hardware of his football career.
Following a perfect 11-0 regular season, the Wolverines earned a berth in the 1998 Rose Bowl where they would line up against the PAC-10 co-champion Washington State Cougars.
The “Granddaddy of Them All” proved to be a national showcase for Heisman winning teammate and future “Tuck Rule Game” foil Charles Woodson, who flew around the field making plays on both sides of the ball. Michigan would defeat Ryan Leaf’s “Wazzu” team in an all-time classic, 21-16, and was awarded their first national championship in nearly fifty years by AP (The Coaches’ Poll awarded the National Title to Nebraska, splitting the national championship for the third time in the 1990s). While Brady did not appear in the game, this jersey represents Brady’s first and only national championship.
Brady wins the starting job as a junior and leads Michigan to a 45-31 victory over Arkansas in the Citrus Bowl.
On New Year’s Day in 1999, Michigan faced the Arkansas Razorbacks in the 1999 CompUSA Florida Citrus Bowl. The first and only game between two programs, Michigan jumped out to an early lead, up 24-10 at halftime. The Razorbacks thundered back out of the locker room and recaptured an advantage early in the 4th quarter after Brady threw his second interception of the game. Deep in the heart of SEC country, the hogs had seemed to stake a firm claim to a bowl victory.
As would become clear throughout his NFL career, Brady embraced adversity. After Bowl MVP Anthony Thomas tied the game with a 1-yard run with just under 6 minutes to go, Michigan’s defense stifled Arkansas and forced the Razorbacks to punt from just feet outside their own endzone with 4:33 left, giving Brady favorable field position. Just over two minutes later, Brady calmly dropped back and, despite almost immediate pressure from two defenders, delivered a picture perfect pass from about 21 yards out for the go ahead touchdown and a lead that Michigan would not relinquish. A pick-6 with 1:47 all but sealed it for the Wolverines, and brought Brady his first bowl victory as starting quarterback. His calm under pressure gave Michigan fans an early glimpse of just one of the many qualities that would make him the GOAT. Brady finished the game with 209 yards on 14 of 27 pass attempts, with 1 touchdown.
The jersey was also photomatched to Michigan’s November 14, 1998 game versus the Wisconsin Badgers. Brady led the 15th-ranked Wolverines to a 27-10 trouncing of a top-ten Wisconsin Badgers squad in front of the Ann Arbor faithful. Brady was impressive, finishing 15 of 24 with 202 passing yards and one passing touchdown. Brady finished the season with school records for most pass attempts in a single season as well as most completions.
On New Year’s Day, Brady plays arguably the best game of his college football career (and his last), leading Michigan to a dramatic overtime victory in the Orange Bowl over Alabama. After an unimpressive scouting combine, Brady is selected in the 6th round (199th overall) by the New England Patriots in the 2000 NFL Draft.
Brady’s last game at the University of Michigan also happened to be arguably the finest performance of his college career. The 2000 FedEx Orange Bowl pitted Michigan Wolverines, ranked #8 in the nation versus the #5 Alabama Crimson Tide, and is considered by many to be a critical part of the “origin story” of Brady, where many fans saw glimpses of his potential for greatness for the first time.
After Michigan fell behind by two touchdowns by the second quarter, Brady took matters into his own hands, throwing three touchdown passes to David Terrell and engineering a thrilling comeback to tie the game by the end of regulation. The game was the first Orange Bowl ever to reach overtime.
Brady did not waste any time getting the Wolverines on the board in extra time, connecting with tight end Shawn Thompson in the endzone on the first play from scrimmage. After Michigan converted the extra point, they held a 35-28 lead over the Crimson Tide. Alabama looked poised to tie the game, scoring a touchdown on their next possession, however they missed the extra point, ultimately falling to Michigan 35-34.
Brady threw for 369 yards and four touchdowns in his final collegiate game before entering the NFL Draft. He completed 34 of 46 passes, which ranked third in school history at the time and is still top 10 in program history today.
After the game, Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit Free Press wrote:
“How perfectly fitting. On the final day of its season, Michigan again trailed and rallied and astounded and frustrated. And it again stood behind its senior comeback quarterback, Brady, and pulled out an improbable victory.”
Brady takes over the starting job after quarterback Drew Bledsoe is injured. He goes on to lead the Patriots to a victory in Super Bowl XXXVI, over the heavily favored St. Louis Rams. Brady then plays in his first Pro Bowl, on his way to setting the NFL record for the most Pro Bowl appearances (15).
The 2001 season not only changed Brady’s life, but largely shifted the entire trajectory of the National Football League. As such, February 2002 was likely an appropriate whirlwind of emotion and elation for the young legend.
In Super Bowl XXXVI, the Patriots defeated the “Greatest Show on Turf” St. Louis Rams at the Superdome in New Orleans to win their first title in franchise history. Leading his side against the presumptive team of the generation, Brady secured Super Bowl MVP honors and shuttled off the next day for festivities at Disney World. After a procession through the Magic Kingdom, he met up with his teammates for the first of six duck boat parades he would take in downtown Boston over the course of his incredible tenure in New England. Then, just two days after his incredible victory, he flew out to sunny Hawaii for the 2002 NFL Pro Bowl for the first of an NFL record 15 times.
Coming off the ultimate team achievement, Brady was deserving of individual praise as he led the Pats to an 11-3 record as a starter including three 4th quarter comeback victories.
Brady later reflected on the his first Pro Bowl selection and its significance:
“Getting recognized by your peers to play in the Pro Bowl to me was setting a different standard. You are recognized as one of the best players in your position and being rewarded for the time and energy that goes into your career.”
Brady competed in the quarterback skills competition and was handed the keys to the AFC offense in the fourth quarter. With ABC announcer Al Michaels joking that Tom was using his eye black to cover the bags under his eyes from all the travel, Brady put the finishing touches on the game and defeated the NFC 38-30.
The Patriots win Super Bowl XXXIX, their second consecutive championship and third in four years, marking the start of the greatest dynasty in football history.
It was Super Bowl XXXIX that catapulted Brady and the New England Patriots to one of the most dominant dynasties in professional sports history. Their third championship in four years solidified the public’s perception that this team wasn’t a Cinderella story anymore; they were a generational force to be reckoned with, led by an all-time great.
The contest between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles served as the close, in a sense, to Brady’s dramatic first act in the NFL.
By this point a two-time Super Bowl champion and two-time Pro Bowler, Brady was already establishing himself among the elite of his generation, but had a chance in this matchup to begin to truly make a case for himself as the “GOAT.” Facing a hungry Eagles team, led by legendary Head Coach Andy Reid, the task would not be simple and the coolest head would prevail.
In the weeks leading up to the game, Philadelphia’s players had done much to turn the highly anticipated contest into a war of words. Receiver Freddie Mitchell had told reporters that he didn’t even know the names of the Patriots who would be defending him and that he “has something” for New England safety Rodney Harrison. Mitchell, that night and that season, played second fiddle to his teammate Terrell Owens, a generational talent on the field and in sound bites who was coming back to play in Super Bowl XXXIX despite a broken leg and torn ankle ligament suffered just seven weeks prior. The Eagles had even developed a detailed Victory Parade Route and plan before the game, which Patriots head coach Bill Belichick read out to the Patriots before the game. Amidst the verbal jabs and despite the heroic return of Philadelphia’s top receiver, Belichick set the tone and urged his team to simply remain focused on what was required to deliver the knockout punch and remain Super Bowl champions: “Do your job… Just take care of your assignment. Know what it is, execute it and get it taken care of... Do your job, be physical, and you’ll be champions again tonight.”
While most of the chatter in the weeks leading up to the game surrounded Eagles offensive playmakers, Brady found a comfortable connection from the jump with wide receiver Deion Branch. Though not the most highly touted at his position (he never surpassed 1000 receiving yards in any season of his career), Brady helped turn Branch into an absolute force in the playoffs. In fact, by the time he left the Patriots following the 2005 season, Branch had as many 100-yard games in eight career playoff games (4) as he did across more than fifty regular season contests.
Brady looked Branch’s way early and often and found success moving the chains with him at the receiving end. Their biggest play and possibly the most important offensive play of the night was a remarkable conversion in the fourth quarter that had the broadcast in awe of “a great throw [that] beats great coverage.” The Patriots rallied a drive around that toss and set kicker Adam Vinatieri up for a field goal that would prove decisive in New England’s 24-21 victory.
Brady would finish the night 23 of 33 passing for 236 yards and two passing touchdowns, one of his most clinical and near flawless performances in the big game. With the victory, he secured the third Lombardi trophy of his career as a starting quarterback, at the time only the fourth ever to do so, and was well on his way to becoming the most decorated professional football player of all-time. The lasting memory of that night in Florida continues to be one word: “Dynasty.”
In 2007, one of the best seasons in NFL history, the Patriots go undefeated in the regular season. Brady wins his first NFL MVP award, is named Offensive Player of the Year and a First-Team All-Pro. Many consider this the greatest season for a quarterback, ever.
Just four years later, the 2011 season was, in some ways, a redemption season for the Patriots and Brady. In their 2010 campaign, they had earned a 14-2 record, good for best in the league. However in the AFC Divisional round, the New York Jets, who Brady and co. had routed 45-3 in Foxborough in Week 13, came back into Foxborough and upset the heavily favored Patriots on their own field, 28-21.
The following season, Brady was a man on a mission. Brady finished the year with 5,235 passing yards, the second most in his career and a number that still holds at the fifth spot all-time for passing yards in a single season. He also managed to throw 39 touchdown passes, the fourth most in a single season during his storied career. Brady also led the AFC in completions, completion percentage, passing yards, yards per attempt, and touchdown passes among a number of other categories. Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees set passing records during the 2011 season, so Brady’s success is often overlooked. However, he led the Patriots to a 13-3 record, good for best in the AFC and tied for the second best in the league, and this time had his sights set on the big game.
The Patriots clobbered the Broncos in the Divisional round before winning a nailbiter in the AFC Championship against the Ravens. Entering Super Bowl XLVI, their first Super Bowl since the 2007 season, the Patriots found themselves in a rematch of that upset against the New York Giants. The game was a closely fought contest, however with just over a minute to play the Giants scored a game-winning touchdown thanks to a six-yard Ahmad Bradshaw run. Despite the Super Bowl loss, Brady’s 2011 season is viewed as one of the best statistical seasons overall for a quarterback in NFL history and was such a strong season that the Pro Football Hall of Fame has taken special care to highlight and contextualize it on their website. The season would go a long way to helping Brady set the countless NFL records he would retire with, not least Super Bowl appearances and career passing yards. In this jersey, Brady contributed to what many consider his best overall season and one of the best individual seasons the sport has ever seen.
Brady ultimately spent 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, becoming a central pillar of the dynasty that dominated professional football for decades.
On February 1, 2015, after another successful season for Brady, the New England Patriots faced the reigning champion Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. Over the course of the regular season, Brady accumulated more than 4,000 passing yards for the 7th time in his career and became only the 6th quarterback in NFL history to reach 50,000 passing yards. Entering the playoffs, both Brady’s Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, led by third-year man Russell Wilson and veteran running back Marshawn Lynch, held 12-4 regular season records and survived close shaves on their way to the big game. The Patriots endured a 35-31 thriller in the divisional round against the Baltimore Ravens, while the defending champions had to come from 16 points down in the NFC Championship game against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers to win in overtime. The stage was set for an epic duel, and the matchup lived up to the hype. The Patriots of course emerged as the victors, winning 28-24, the fourth Super Bowl title in franchise history.
Tom was awarded his third Super Bowl MVP on the podium, further solidifying his status as one of the greatest of all time and bringing him level with Joe Montana in Super Bowl wins and MVPs. Brady would go on to win the most Super Bowls and Super Bowl MVPs of any player in NFL history and also has more Super Bowls than any franchise in NFL history. In his interview with Dan Patrick, Brady gave much of the credit to his teammates, however without his poise at the helm of the offense in the face of adversity, it is doubtful that the Patriots would have become the first team in NFL history to overcome a 10-point fourth quarter deficit in the Super Bowl.
For all the statistical feats he achieved as a passer, Brady’s lasting memory is etched in dramatic victories, and there is little more captivating than a late-game comeback.
In December 2022, Brady became the all-time leader in fourth quarter comeback wins and he has three such victories in the 'Big Game' alone.
It’s quite likely that Brady’s most spectacular moment, the genuine apex of football’s greatest career, was the comeback he engineered in Super Bowl LI. Possibly the most famed comeback in sports history, the New England Patriots’ stunning surge saw Brady lead his team from a 28-3 deficit with little more than a quarter remaining, against the Atlanta Falcons.
After a sluggish opening for the Patriots, Brady locked in when it mattered the most. Starting at the midway point of the 3rd quarter, Brady willed his team back into the game.
Clawing back from the 25-point hole, Brady dialed-up every play he could find on his wrist to pick up three touchdowns, two two-point conversions, and a field goal in less than 18 minutes of game time. The unprecedented turnaround was a masterclass in quick decisive passing and was highlighted with an unbelievable toss to Julian Edelman that saw him reel the ball in just centimeters off the ground while being dog-piled by three defenders. Super Bowl LI became the first in history to go to overtime.
When the Patriots won the ensuing coin toss and elected to take the first possession, there was little doubt what would come next. With confidence that few can match, Brady led the Patriots down the field for the final time. On a drive that would see Brady set the record for passing yards in a Super Bowl game, it was a pitch from Brady to James White for a run-in touchdown that would clinch the Super Bowl for the New England Patriots.
As the confetti rained, Brady celebrated a claim that no other quarterback in NFL history could match: five Super Bowl rings.
Entering the 2019 season, his 20th in the NFL and with the Patriots, Brady was already the byword for football excellence. He had a record 6 Super Bowl rings and 4 Super Bowl MVPs, was a 14-time Pro Bowl selection and a lock to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first possible occasion. While this may have satisfied most, it became clear that the greatest football player of all time was still hungry for more.
Brady had a strong 2019 season. He threw for 4,057 yards, the 11th time in his career that he had thrown for more than 4,000 yards, as well as 24 touchdowns, all in this helmet. His Patriots won the AFC East for the 11th consecutive season while his head coach Bill Belichick became only the third head coach in NFL history to win 300 games.
2019 also saw Brady further cement himself as an all-time great in the record books thanks to his methodical pursuit of excellence. In a Week 5 trouncing of Washington, Brady had perhaps his best performance of the year, passing for 348 yards and three touchdowns against only one interception, and in the process passed Brett Favre for third all-time in career passing yards. Four days later, in Week 6 at home against his longtime rival New York Giants and Eli Manning, he passed Peyton Manning for 2nd all-time in that same category. Later in the season, in Week 13 against the Houston Texans, Brady had another 300 yard, three touchdown game while passing Brett Favre for second all-time in completions. In his final regular season game in a Patriot uniform, in this helmet, Brady passed Peyton for 2nd all-time in passing touchdowns. Even after 20 seasons, Brady only knew how to excel on a football field.
After 20 seasons, 6 Super bowls and 3 MVPs, Brady leaves New England to sign with Tampa Bay Buccaneers, ending one of the greatest tenures with a single team in sports history. In his first season with Tampa Bay, Brady leads them to victory in Super Bowl LV. Brady is named the Super Bowl MVP for an NFL record 5th time, becoming the first player to receive the award with multiple franchises. He also becomes the first player to win seven Super Bowl titles.
As attested to by Brady himself, these shoulder pads were worn in the Buccaneers’ 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV on February 7, 2021 at Raymond James Stadium. Brady was named Super Bowl MVP, the oldest player ever to achieve the feat, throwing for 201 yards and 3 touchdowns, while completing 21 of 29 pass attempts. The Super Bowl victory was Brady’s record-extending seventh championship of his legendary career and solidified his standing as the greatest football player of all time.
What might be the most fascinating part of Brady’s story is the final chapter. After 20 years with the New England Patriots, he had built himself into the greatest champion to ever grace the gridiron. Brady demonstrated unparalleled leadership abilities and ferocious competitiveness time and time again. His fairy-tale career would have been the strongest in the sport’s history, should he have retired then.
In week 9 versus the Los Angeles Rams, Brady becomes the first quarterback in NFL history to reach 100,000 passing yards in his career (combined regular season and postseason).
The 2021-22 NFL season marked yet another title defense for Brady for an astonishing and record-setting 7th time. Brady’s season proved to be a remarkable continuation of his legendary career, showcasing his enduring excellence at age 44. In his second year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brady defied the odds, leading the league in passing yards (5,316) and touchdowns (43) while steering the Bucs to a 13-4 record and the NFC South title. His precision, leadership and football IQ were on full display, as he orchestrated multiple come-from-behind victories and helped Tampa Bay remain one of the top contenders in the NFL.
As substantial as playoff battles, championships and big wins are in a player’s career and relationship with a club, there are often three games that cannot be fully replicated in form. The day an athlete makes their debut for a team, the day they last take the field for that team, and (if applicable) the day they come back to play that very same team, but this time, as a rival. Legends such as Jordan, Gretzky and LeBron have made that journey to face down crowds that once exalted their greatness. In 2021, Brady returned north to play against the New England Patriots, the franchise that drafted him and that in turn he made legendary.
On October 3, 2021, almost exactly two decades after he first played in front of the Foxborough faithful, Brady came back to Massachusetts for a long-awaited matchup: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers versus the New England Patriots. A rainy night at Gillette Stadium, TB12 played through what he called “Patriot weather” as well as the waves of emotions that washed over him as he retook the field where he had led the home team to so many wins before. Under the circumstances, he was cool and collected as he led the defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers to a fourth quarter comeback victory.
That night, Brady also etched his name into the history books yet again. On a 28-yard completion to Mike Evans, with this ball, Brady claimed the all-time passing yards crown, previously held by New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees Despite claiming one of football’s most storied records, he hardly stopped to take a beat, heading right back into the huddle to finish off the scoring drive that resulted in a field goal.
The Bucs ultimately eked out a 19-17 victory for their third win of the year. After the game, Tom’s praise was effusive for the “guys [he’d] shared [his] life with” that had such an outsized impact on his “football journey” including Patriots coach Bill Belichick and a number of his former teammates. “I feel like I’ll always be part of this community… It’s been an amazing place for me.”
Epitomizing the leadership that made him an all-timer, he also took time to give credit to his teammates and coaches throughout his career: “I just think it’s an amazing statistic in that so many people can share in it with me… Quarterback doesn’t throw and catch. Quarterback can just throw it. It’s yards. Passing yards have to be caught, so I just hope that everybody who caught passes from me over the years just had a little smile on their face tonight knowing they contributed to a very cool record.” The NFL world, including Drew Brees, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the New England Patriots, all celebrated Brady’s accomplishment. It was only fitting that it took place against the team that had taken a chance on Brady with the 199th pick in the year 2000.
After breaking almost every major NFL passing record, 7 Super Bowl victories and 3 NFL MVP awards, Brady retires as the consensus NFL Greatest of All Time (GOAT).
Known as the “John Player Special,” this exceptionally rare variant of the “Paul Newman” Daytona has an intriguing history. The name dates back to 1972 when John Player & Sons sponsored the Lotus Formula One team, which prominently displayed the cigarette maker’s logo. The Lotus cars, painted in striking black and gold to match the company’s colors, quickly became iconic, and today, are regarded as some of the most elegant and attractive race cars ever designed.
Tool watches, known for their durability, accuracy and readability, were traditionally encased in stainless steel. Gold, with its heavier weight and softer composition, was less practical for professional timepieces. However, over time, the Daytona evolved into a status symbol, but in the 1960s, precious metal versions were extremely rare. Manufactured between 1966 and 1969, the reference 6241 is one of the rarest Daytona models. It is estimated that around 3,000 reference 6241 Daytonas were produced, with only 300 of those in yellow gold. Even rarer, only a small fraction of these 300 were equipped with the highly sought-after John Player Special dial. What makes this particular example even more exceptional is its 14k yellow gold case, rather than the more common 18k, and its matching 14k yellow gold Rolex Jubilee bracelet.
This watch is a centerpiece of Brady’s collection. He was first seen wearing it at the start of the 2023 football season, during a special ceremony at Gillette Stadium where the New England Patriots honored the legendary quarterback at their home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. During the halftime ceremony, team owner Robert Kraft announced that Brady would be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame the following June. Fittingly, Brady wore this iconic timepiece to match the moment, an iconic watch for an iconic quarterback.
Brady soon signed on to become color commentator for the Fox NFL broadcast and, later in the season, purchased a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders.
In 2024, Brady, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon came together for one of the most star-studded Super Bowl ads of the year. The ad, promoting Dunkin’s new “DunKings” menu, featured the three Boston legends as a band called “The DunKings,” all wearing matching tracksuits. The commercial also featured celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Jack Harlow, and Fat Joe.
The commercial has had combined for hundreds of thousands of views across digital platforms and was one of the most discussed ads from the Big Game, further cementing Brady’s status as a pop culture icon in retirement.
