Drew Bledsoe and Tom Brady are forever tied to each other for the injury that all but ended Bledsoe’s time with the New England Patriots and began a historic dynasty led by Brady. The pair each had their moments shining in the NFL, though Brady’s resume is rivaled by few — if any — players in the history of the league.
Comparing Drew Bledsoe’s and Tom Brady’s Careers
Bledsoe was a highly-touted prospect coming out of Washington State University, and he was selected No. 1 overall by the Bill Parcells-led Patriots in the 1993 NFL Draft. He put up strong numbers in three seasons at Washington State, though interceptions were a bit of an issue at times — he threw for 44 touchdowns and 33 picks across three seasons.
Brady, meanwhile, flew a bit more under the radar during the lead-up to the 2000 NFL Draft after putting up respectable but not gaudy numbers across four years at the University of Michigan. He did enough for New England to select him 199th overall in the sixth round of the draft; however, it solidified the first improbable step in his now legendary career.
Bledsoe went on to have a strong NFL career statistically, throwing for 44,611 yards and 251 touchdowns with 206 interceptions. Among all quarterbacks in NFL history, Bledsoe has the 17th-most passing yards (44,611) and 24th-most passing touchdowns (251).
Bledsoe tallied 4,086 passing yards for 27 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 1996, leading the Patriots to an appearance in Super Bowl 31. They ultimately fell in that game to the Brett Favre-led Green Bay Packers, 35-21, as Bledsoe threw for 253 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions.
It was the lone Super Bowl appearance of his career, as New England reached the playoffs on four occasions across his time as the franchise’s full-time starter.
Brady, on the other hand, had more team success than any quarterback in the history of the game. Also, he holds the NFL record for most passing yards (89,214) and passing touchdowns (649) with 212 interceptions across his 23 NFL seasons.
He famously took over for Bledsoe during the 2001 season after the latter was sidelined by a gruesome injury. Brady did not relinquish the starting job from there, as he went on to lead the Patriots to victory in Super Bowl 36 that season, the first in a career full of championships.
Brady then led New England to five more Super Bowl wins in the game’s 38th, 39th, 49th, 51st, and 53rd editions before winning one more ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl 55.
Bledsoe was on the Super Bowl-winning 2001 squad, but he was never the starter for a Super Bowl champion team.
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He was traded to the Buffalo Bills in the offseason after the Super Bowl-winning season and spent three seasons there before wrapping up his career with two seasons as a member of the Dallas Cowboys in 2005 and 2006.
Still, Bledsoe earned four Pro Bowl nods and certainly put up some strong statistical achievements across his 14-year NFL career. He also can forever say he was part of passing the torch to a man who is widely considered the best ever to play the game: Brady.
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