Who has caught the most passes from Tom Brady?
With Rob Gronkowski calling it quits once more in his NFL career, his relationship with Tom Brady is again in focus. He has only ever played for one quarterback and has refused, in principle, to play for anyone else. The proof we have is that after retiring from the NFL for the first time, Rob Gronkowski did not return to the NFL as a Patriot. He joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where Brady now plays at the latter's insistence.
5 most iconic Rob Gronkowski - Tom Brady TDs of all-time dlvr.it/SSbqBd
We know that they had an almost telepathic connection. But how does it matchup against the other receiver combinations that Brady has played with? We look at the top three receiving targets for Tom Brady over his career.
#3 - Julian Edelman
Coming in at number three on this list is Julian Edelman with 36 touchdowns. Edelman was a return specialist who became a primary offensive target for Tom Brady as his career progressed with the New England Patriots. Like Brady, he came through in clutch situations.
Julian Edelman’s NFL career resume:
- 3x Super Bowl Champion
- Super Bowl 53 MVP
- Most PR (8) & REC (7) during a 1st half in SB history
- Most REC (580) from Tom Brady
- 2nd most NFL Playoff REC (118) & REC YDS (1,442) of all-time twitter.com/nflthrowback/s…
He never had the consistent numbers to make a Pro Bowl. However, he was named MVP in Super Bowl LIII after accounting for more than half of the New England Patriots receiving yards in that game. Whenever Brady required a surefire first down, Edelman was often his primary target.
#2 - Randy Moss
It can be argued that Tom Brady has made the players around him better. But in some cases, great players were there to give him tools that other quarterbacks did not have. From 2000 to 2006, Brady never breached the 30 touchdown mark in a season with the New England Patriots, owing as much to their defense as a Brady-led offense.
That changed in 2007 when Randy Moss joined the team. Brady threw for 50 touchdowns that season and Moss caught 23 of those 50. Brady and Moss both set NFL records with passing and receiving touchdowns in a single season. Much of Brady's individual growth and achievements can be laid at Moss' feet. In 2007 they tried to achieve the perfect season. Going into the Super Bowl with an undefeated record of 18-0, they fell one game short, losing 17-14 to the New York Giants.
#1 - Rob Gronkowski
Topping the list, to nobody's surprise, is Rob Gronkowski. But the number of touchdowns Brady threw to him is still astonishing. The 90 touchdowns Gronkowski caught are more than Edelman and Moss combined.
It showed the chemistry these two had on the field. Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski made five Super Bowl appearances as teammates and won four of them together. They are the most successful double act in the league, leaving everyone else behind in their shadow.