It should go without saying that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but Brady’s résumé far exceeds the typical Hall of Famer. In fact, you could divide Brady’s career in two parts, and both parts would be Hall of Fame careers.
The easiest place to divide Brady’s career is in 2008, when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week One. If we look at Brady’s career as if it were two separate careers -- one before that 2008 knee injury and one after -- both of them are worthy of the Hall of Fame.
Before the knee injury, Brady started four Super Bowls, won three rings, won two Super Bowl MVP awards and was a regular-season MVP once. That would certainly get him in the Hall of Fame, as every quarterback who’s started at least three Super Bowls is already in the Hall of Fame or is a lock to get in when eligible.
After the knee injury, Brady has had an even better career: He’s about to start his fifth Super Bowl since the knee injury, he has two rings and may soon earn a third, he has two Super Bowl MVPs and may soon earn a third, and he has two regular season MVPs.
The 41-year-old Brady has said he sees himself playing into his mid-40s. By the time he’s done he might have three Hall of Fame careers under his belt.
