Tom Brady ‘100,000 Career Passing Yards’ 2022 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Home Game Worn Jersey

Sotheby’s is proud to present, directly from his personal collection, Tom Brady’s jersey in which he became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for a combined 100,000 career passing yards in the regular season and playoffs.

Tom Brady’s first completed NFL pass came on November 23, 2000 while the New England Patriots were trailing the Detroit Lions 34-9 late in the fourth quarter. Having relieved starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe, Brady entered the game and completed a six-yard pass to tight end Rod Rutledge. It was Brady’s only completion of his entire rookie season. 

Almost 22 years later to the day, on November 6, 2022, the one-time 6th round, 199th overall draft pick backup quarterback became the first and, to date only, signal caller to reach a completely different milestone: That six-yard rookie year pass had become the first six-yards in the first six-figure passing yard career in NFL history. 

In the Week 9 game of the 2022 season between the Los Angeles Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in this jersey, Brady surpassed 100,000 total career passing yards (including regular season and playoffs) -  something never before accomplished, and perhaps, never to be repeated. The milestone, which must have been unthinkable as Tom came off the field in 2000 after completing just one of three pass attempts, was achieved with a 15-yard completion in the fourth quarter to running back Leonard Fournette that set up a 50-yard field goal by Kicker Ryan Succop. The Buccaneers would go on to win the game 16-13. 

The 2022 season would be Brady’s last under center. He ended his illustrious career with 102,614 total passing yards, which is far and away the NFL record. The second highest on the list is Drew Brees, who finished his career with 85,724 yards. Brady also holds the record for most regular season passing yards, postseason passing yards, and passing yards in the Super Bowl over the course of a career, demonstrating not only his longevity but also his effectiveness when the lights were brightest. He also set the record for the highest number of different receivers to complete a pass with, connecting with a staggering 98 different players over the course of his career. Demonstrating excellence across three different decades and with dozens of different receivers, this jersey represents yet another seemingly impossible milestone in the career of the greatest quarterback to step foot on the gridiron.

The item is accompanied by letters from MeiGray in regards to photomatching and Tom Brady in regards to provenance. 

Going Deeper - Tom Brady

Humble Beginnings and the Road to Greatness

There are only a few athletes who are near-universally accepted as the greatest in their sport: Tiger Woods, Muhammad Ali, Wayne Gretzky, Babe Ruth—and Tom Brady.

While most of them entered their respective sports as highly touted prospects, Brady’s journey began as an unassuming sixth-round pick of the New England Patriots in the 2000 NFL Draft.

During ESPN’s segment covering the 199th pick, resident draft expert Mel Kiper remarked, “[Brady] throws a very catchable ball.” Watching the segment today, there is little evidence Kiper realized he was talking about the player who threw perhaps the most catchable ball in the history of the sport. Brady holds the record for the most passing yards, completions, and touchdowns in NFL history.

Kiper would go on to talk about Brady’s perceived weaknesses: “The question is going to be mobility. He only runs a 5.25 forty [yard dash] and of course when you have those edge pass rushers, you have to avoid the initial defensive end, the initial pass rusher. Can he do that at the pro level?”

Brady’s seemingly pedestrian 2000 NFL Combine performance (his 40-yard dash was on par with some offensive lineman) and the now infamous photo of his less-than-strapping, unathletic physique, have become part of the lore for what many consider the best draft pick of all time.

Every year come draft time, that photo of Brady gets circulated through social media as teams hope to strike gold again as the New England Patriots did in the year 2000.

Brady would acknowledge as much when he posted the picture to his personal Instagram years later, with the caption:

“19 years ago today the @patriots took a chance on the guy in this photo: Me (199) 😂. Thank you to EVERYONE who’s helped me to prove them right! PS: Did they stop taking these photos after mine?? 🤣🤣”

What followed, of course, is legend. Brady would go on to join the Patriots as their fourth-string quarterback and was, by no means, a lock to even make the team. By the following season however, he was thrust into a starting role after veteran starter Drew Bledsoe sustained an injury in week two. That opportunity was all Brady needed. He would lead the Patriots to a 20-17 victory in Super Bowl XXXVI that year and become the youngest Super Bowl MVP.

Brady would win five more Super Bowls with the New England Patriots as well as one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on his way to becoming the best quarterback, and arguably player, in the history of the sport. No NFL player has ever come close to being as good for as long. If you split Brady’s career into segments, you would find two, maybe even three, Hall of Fame resumes.