NFL

What Is Tom Brady’s Worst Record as a Starter?

Luke Norris Sports Editor

Published24 Oct 2022

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For more than 20 years now, Tom Brady has been among the elite NFL quarterbacks year in and year out. From an overall talent perspective, is he the greatest quarterback of all time? Well, that’s certainly a divisive topic that will be debated long after he finally hangs up his cleats.

From a winning perspective, however, Brady has no equal and likely never will. All he has to do is flash those seven Super Bowl rings, and the conversation ends right there.

But the guy’s been pretty good in the regular season as well. Not only does Brady hold the NFL record for regular-season wins, but it’s also not even close, as nobody is within 50 of him.

He also holds the league record for career winning percentage among those with at least 150 starts. And the fact that he’s started more than double that amount only makes the mark that much more impressive.

But that’s what you get when you’re a starter for two-plus decades and have only had one losing season as a starter. And take note that I said as a starter.

When Brady was a rookie in 2000, the New England Patriots went 5-11. But he didn’t start a single game that year and only made one appearance in relief, completing one of three passes for six yards in a blowout loss to the Lions.

Brady’s lone losing season as a starter was the 2022 campaign, in which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 8-9.

Tom Brady never had a losing season as a starting quarterback until 2022

Tom Brady with the Patriots in 2002, Tom Brady with the Buccaneers in 2022 — (L-R) Tom Brady with the Patriots in 2002; Tom Brady with the Buccaneers in 2022 | John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images; Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

The closest Brady ever came to a losing season as a starter in New England was in 2002, the year after he won his first Super Bowl with the Patriots. New England went 9-7 that year and missed the postseason, marking the only time a Brady-led squad hasn’t played extra football.

The Pats also missed the playoffs in 2008, but Brady was injured in the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs and missed the rest of the year. New England won that game, however, so TB12 still got credit for a 1-0 record.

As mentioned, TB12’s lone losing season as a starter was in 2022 when the Bucs went 8-9. However, despite the sub-.500 mark, Brady & Co. still won the NFC South and went to the playoffs as the No. 4 seed.

Starting in 2001, the season he took over for Drew Bledsoe, here’s a year-by-year look at Brady’s win-loss record.