Quarterback Tom Brady’s legacy transcends the statistics he produced over a 23-season career, but his records and achievements have set a bar that will be hard to top.
Brady, who retired — “for good” — on Wednesday, rewrote much of the NFL record book with personal and team accomplishments that spanned 20 seasons with the New England Patriots and the past three with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
His last season might not have played out the way he wanted after briefly retiring last year, but that doesn’t diminish his reputation as the greatest quarterback in NFL history.
Here are some of the ways Brady left his mark on the game and the reasons he’s considered the GOAT.
Brady, by the numbers
Tom Brady is retiring as a player, but his legacy will remain in the many records he set during his 23-year career. Cooper Neill/Getty Images
23 NFL seasons (20 for Patriots, three for Buccaneers)
Most games won (251)
Most championships won (7)
Most career touchdown passes (649)
Most regular-season passing yards (89,214)
Most career passing attempts (12,050)
Most career completions (7,753)
Only player to pass for at least 100,000 total yards (102,614)
Most games started (333)
Most playoff wins (35)
Most playoff passing yards (13,400)
Most playoff passing touchdowns (88)
Most playoff game-winning drives (14)
Most passing yards in a playoff game (505)
Most Super Bowl passing touchdowns (21)
Most Super Bowl passing yards (3,039)
Most Super Bowl appearances (10)
Longest pass (99, tied)
Thirty-five career playoff wins — 19 more than any other QB (Joe Montana was second with 16)
Five-time Super Bowl MVP, most in NFL history
ESPN Sports & Information Group
Fifteen-time Pro Bowl selection, most in NFL history
Three-time NFL MVP (2007, 2010, 2017)
2009 Comeback Player of the Year
First player to win NFL championships in three different decades (Elias)
First QB to start a Super Bowl win for a team in both conferences
First player in NFL history to win multiple titles after turning 40 (Elias)
Fourth player in NFL/MLB/NHL/NBA history to win multiple titles after turning 40 (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Enos Slaughter, Jack Quinn were the others)
Second QB to win Super Bowl in first season with team (Trent Dilfer was the first in 2000)
Brady has more Super Bowl wins than any franchise (Patriots and Steelers have six each, 49ers and Cowboys have five each). In addition, Brady has 35 career postseason wins, more than 29 active franchises (all except for the Patriots, Steelers and Packers).
Brady is the oldest player to win a championship-round MVP in NFL/NBA/MLB/NHL history, per Elias. He’s also the oldest player (43) to appear in a Super Bowl.
Brady threw for 74,571 yards and 541 touchdowns with the Patriots, which both rank as the most for a single team in NFL history.
Including playoffs, Brady’s 135 wins and 304 touchdowns at Gillette Stadium were the most by any QB at one stadium in NFL history. The only other QB with 100-plus wins at one stadium including the postseason is John Elway at Mile High Stadium (104).
Brady and Patriots coach Bill Belichick made nine Super Bowl appearances in 20 seasons together, which is more than any other team across NFL history. They have also combined to register the most Super Bowl appearances and wins by a starting QB-head coach combination in NFL history.
There has never been another player and head coach duo to spend 20 seasons together in NFL/NBA/NHL/MLB history. Their 249 wins including the playoffs are the most by any starting QB-head coach duo.
Brady won his third league MVP award in the 2017 season, when he was 40 years old, becoming the oldest player in NFL/NBA/NHL/MLB history to win league MVP honors. The only other 40-year-old to achieve the feat is Barry Bonds in 2004. We’ll find out Feb. 12 whether Brady will win his fourth MVP.
