What were Tom Brady's career stats at Patriots and Buccaneers?

After Tom Brady’s retirement, Stats Perform runs through the numbers of an extraordinary career with the Patriots and Buccaneers.

Stats PerformUpdate: Feb 1st, 2022 14:47 EST

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Tom Brady has called time on his NFL career after 22 seasons, at the age of 44.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback officially announced his decision on Tuesday after days of speculation, with the news initially having been reported on Saturday.

It means Brady’s final game in the sport was the dramatic Divisional Round loss to the Los Angeles Rams, in which he had led the Bucs in a remarkable late comeback.

That display, at the end of a season in which Brady led the league in passing yards (5,316) and touchdown passes (43), had elements of everything that made him the greatest of all time.

Brady’s legacy has long been unmatched but will not now be added to, as he watches the 2022 season from his sofa.

There is little prospect of any other QB coming close in the near future, however, as Stats Perform examines the stunning numbers behind his record-breaking career.

It was quite the ride.Thank you and congratulations, @TomBrady. pic.twitter.com/0gPwUROEkz

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) February 1, 2022

Brady vs Brees

Brady’s seven Super Bowls counted for more than any other statistic ever could, but there was still intrigue around his battle with Drew Brees for a number of all-time passing marks.

Brees was drafted by the San Diego Chargers the year after Brady was selected by the New England Patriots, forever pitting the pair against one another.

But the long-time New Orleans Saints QB did not quite have Brady’s longevity, retiring a year earlier, and allowed the gap between the two men’s achievements to widen in 2021.

Brady leads the NFL with 84,520 passing yards, ahead of the second-placed Brees and his 80,358.

In terms of touchdown passes, it is a similar story. Brady’s 624 top the charts, with Brees his nearest challenger on 571.

Brees also ranks second for seasons with 20 touchdown passes (17) and team points per game among quarterbacks with at least 100 starts (27.4). Brady (19 and 28.3) is the main man in both categories.

A win is a win…

There is an enduring debate over whether wins are a quarterback statistic, but one would have a hard time arguing otherwise in Brady’s case. Even after benefiting from Bill Belichick’s coaching for 20 years, the veteran headed to Tampa and won right away.

Brady finishes with 243 QB wins, meaning an incredible margin to second-placed pair Peyton Manning and Brett Favre on 186.

In fact, Brady has 69 wins in the month of December alone. In terms of a single month, Favre is next, with 52 wins also in December.

It should come as no surprise then that Brady has the best record among QBs with at least 100 starts, his .769 again comfortably ahead of the next-best performance, Roger Staubach’s .746.

Of course, Brady has kept winning as each season has extended into the postseason.

He has 35 playoff wins, too many to compare to one rival QB alone. Among all NFL teams excluding Brady’s Pats and Bucs, the Baltimore Ravens have won the most playoff games since 2000. They are on 16.

Memories to last a lifetime. Thank you, 1⃣2⃣.#GoBucs pic.twitter.com/m9ipziiFmn

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) February 1, 2022

Brady out with a bang

Brady’s 2021 performance made his decision to quit at this stage something of a shock. Even in his mid-40s, there have been no signs of slowing.