Tom Brady has had not one but three NFL HOF careers
Tom Brady is arguably the best and most accomplished player in NFL history. A league without him seems odd, and that is why the reaction to his reported retirement was so widespread.
Everyone knows the basic stats. He has seven Super Bowl rings across his time with the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was the MVP of the game five times and won three league MVP awards in his two-decade career.
Then there are the general passing stats. He is the all-time leader in passing touchdowns (624) and passing yards (84,520). But this is an overarching view of his entire career. If we break it down further, it's clear he has had three distinct chapters that all form their own respective Hall of Fame-level careers.
Tom Brady literally had THREE Hall of Fame careers! https://t.co/tJZjP5AonR
Each respective chapter features certain marks that are better than the careers of other Hall of Famers.
The three careers of Tom Brady
The first chapter is from 2001-2007, when the quarterback won three Super Bowls in four years to begin his reign as the starter in New England. He could have realistically retired after the 2007 season and had a case for the Hall of Fame. The three titles alone make a great case.
2001 saw Brady take over the starting job from Drew Bledsoe. The rest is history as he guided the Patriots all the way to the Super Bowl against "The Greatest Show on Turf" St. Louis Rams. One could argue the quarterback single-handely ended a dynasty starting in St. Louis.
He then took a year away from glory before beating the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII (also winning the Super Bowl MVP) and the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.
His next era, from 2008-2014, was a bit quieter but still saw him win Super Bowl XLIX in the 2014 season against the Seattle Seahawks (he also won his third Super Bowl MVP award). This came after a decade-long drought and happened because Russell Wilson threw a shocking interception at the goal line.
It is also important to note that Brady missed the entire 2008 season after suffering an injury in Week 1. This came a year after a 16-0 season in 2007, so a lot of momentum was stalled with that injury.
His final and most recent era was easily the most impressive. From 2015-21 he won a total of three titles with two different teams. He was also in his 40s for much of this time but never slowed down one bit. How many other quarterbacks could even fathom throwing over 200 touchdowns so late in their careers?
The most thrilling of the three titles came during the 2016 season's Super Bowl (LI) when Brady engineered a comeback after the Patriots went down 28-3 against the Atlanta Falcons. That gave him two improbable titles in the span of three years.
Tom Brady played so long that 5 players who began their careers after he did have already been inducted into the Hall of Fame:
Calvin Johnson
Troy Polamalu
Ed Reed
Steve Hutchinson
LaDainian Tomlinson
Brady was truly special, and it is hard to imagine anyone ever replicating his career. Some fans may name Patrick Mahomes as the next version of "the GOAT". Mahomes will finish his fifth NFL season with one Super Bowl to his name. Remember, Brady had three at that point.
What we do know is that Brady's entire career has resulted in obvious Hall of Fame enshrinement. Barring a shocking rule change, he is set to head to Canton in 2027 in a class that will also feature Ben Roethlisberger.
Even if we only took one of Brady's careers, enshrinement would be clear and obvious. Having all three means Canton will be the place to be in the summer of 2027.