Tom Brady 2011 New England Patriots Game Worn Away Jersey

Sotheby’s is proud to present, directly from his personal collection, a game-worn New England Patriots away jersey worn by Tom Brady during the 2011 NFL season. This jersey has been photomatched to the Patriots’ October 30, 2011 week eight matchup, in which the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New England Patriots 25-17 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA. In the game, Brady completed 24 of 35 pass attempts for 198 yards and two touchdown passes.

The 2011 season was, in some ways, a redemption season for the Patriots and Tom 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. 

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.