We all know who the greatest quarterback in New England Patriots history is. He’s also the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL. But who are some of the other best Patriots quarterbacks of all time?
It wasn’t easy, but we came up with the top five, plus one honorable mention.
5 Best Patriots Quarterbacks of All Time
Honorable mentions: Jim Plunkett
5) Tony Eason (1983-1989)
The Patriots drafted Tony Eason with the 15th overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft. Oh, how their franchise history would be different if they’d selected Dan Marino, who went 12 picks later to the Miami Dolphins.
Eason never developed into a true franchise quarterback, but he wasn’t a total bust either. New England’s fifth all-time leading passer, Eason threw for 3,228 yards, 23 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions in 1984. A year later, he led the Patriots on a magical playoff run that finished with a Super Bowl loss to the Chicago Bears.
Eason went 28-23 in 6+ seasons with the Patriots. You could do a lot worse.
4) Vito “Babe” Parilli (1961-1967)
The first franchise quarterback in Patriots history, Vito “Babe” Parilli was selected fourth overall by the Green Bay Packers in the 1952 NFL Draft. Following stints with the Packers, Cleveland Browns, and Oakland Raiders, Parilli joined the then-Boston Patriots and soon became one of the AFL’s best quarterbacks.
In seven seasons in New England, Parilli made three Pro Bowls while throwing for 16,747 yards, 132 touchdowns, and 138 interceptions. He played for the New York Jets for the final two seasons of his career.
3) Steve Grogan (1975-1990)
Steve Grogan’s Patriots career is difficult to evaluate.
He was a fifth-round pick and never made any Pro Bowl or first-team All-Pro rosters. He also threw more interceptions (208) than touchdowns (182) and spent just a handful of seasons as the full-time starter. The Patriots were always trying to replace him.
And yet, Grogan spent his entire 16-year career in New England while amassing a record of 75-60. He also had a few decent seasons, including one campaign that saw him lead the NFL with 28 touchdown passes.
He wasn’t a star, but Grogan was a solid quarterback and is the obvious choice for the No. 3 spot on this list.
2) Drew Bledsoe (1993-2001)
Unfortunately, Drew Bledsoe has become a footnote and occasional punchline in the illustrious story of the top player on this list. But let’s not forget how good he was during his prime.
Drafted first overall in 1993, Bledsoe was the face of the Patriots during the 1990s. He made three Pro Bowls, led the league in yards once, and started in a Super Bowl. Bledsoe was a gunslinger — to a fault — and was a blast to watch when he was on top of his game.
However, Bledsoe also took way too many sacks and threw a ton of interceptions, including a league-leading 27 in 1994. By the time he was replaced in 2001, Bledsoe no longer looked like a top quarterback.
Bledsoe played for five more seasons after leaving New England and even made the Pro Bowl in 2002 while playing for the Buffalo Bills.
1) Tom Brady (2000-2019)
Obviously, it’s Tom Brady.
Brady took over for an injured Bledsoe in 2001 and never looked back, winning six Super Bowls and three MVPs during a remarkable two-decade run. Along the way, he led the Patriots to 14 conference championship game appearances, including eight in a row, and 17 AFC East titles, including 11 in a row.
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Brady spent the final three seasons of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When the dust settled, he had 15 Pro Bowl nods, three first-team All-Pro selections (not nearly enough), and seven Super Bowl rings. He basically had three different Hall of Fame careers.
We’ll stop now, as Brady’s list of accomplishments is too long and deserves its own book.