Unless you’re a fan of either the Patriots or Buccaneers, you’re probably not too upset over the news that Tom Brady is calling it quits for a second — and final — time. While toppling records and becoming the most accomplished player ever, Brady was also responsible for plenty of heartbreak for fanbases of the 30 teams he didn’t play for during his 23-year career.
Now that his career is officially over, we can fully assess the damage Brady did on the rest of the NFL. All told, Brady amassed an astonishing 251-82 regular-season record. His postseason record of 35-13 is even more impressive given that he has 19 more wins than the second-winningest playoff quarterback, which just so happens to be Brady’s childhood idol, Joe Montana.
Below is Brady’s record against every NFL team, including the two that he helped lead to Super Bowl glory.
There are some notable takeaways from this graph. First, Brady does not have a losing record against any NFL team and had a winning record against 30 teams. Only the 49ers — Brady’s childhood team — and the Broncos — who defeated Brady three times in the postseason — split their games against him.
Brady outright dominated the Bills during his two decades against them in the AFC East. Ironically, one of Brady’s biggest losses — a 31-0 drubbing in Buffalo in Week 1 of the 2003 season — served as a key turning point for himself and the early 2000s Patriots. New England lost just one more game that season and ended the regular season by returning the favor with a 31-0 blanking of Buffalo.
The Steelers were another team that Brady had significant success against. While Pittsburgh — and then-rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger — was responsible for snapping the Patriots’ record 21-game winning streak, Brady and the Patriots more than got even after defeating the Steelers in that year’s AFC Championship Game en route to their third title in four years. It was one of three wins Brady-led teams had over the Steelers in conference title games.
The Jets, Colts and Falcons are three other teams that are synonymous with Brady. Sans their 2010 divisional round upset over New England, the Jets were often the team that felt the wrath of Brady and the Patriots during their heyday. The Jets further cemented their chapter in the Patriots’ legacy by outing them for their illegal taping of teams after the 2007 season opener.
Brady’s battles with the Colts — and more specifically Peyton Manning — are a significant part of Brady’s legacy. Brady helped make sure that the talented Colts played second fiddle to the Patriots’ dynasty during the 200s by defeating them in the 2003 and ’04 playoffs. The Colts were able to exercise those demons by rallying from behind to upset New England in the 2006 conference title game.
Brady wasn’t perfect against Atlanta, but find any Falcons fan who really cares about their team’s one win in a dozen games against him. While already an all-time great, Brady reached true G.O.A.T. status after helping the Patriots rally from a 28-3 deficit against Atlanta to win the first and only Super Bowl that went into overtime.
Of course, no team played a bigger role in Brady’s career and legacy than the Patriots, who selected him with the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. After winning nearly 250 games in a Patriots uniform, Brady won his first and only game against his former team in 2021, a win that further added to his unparalleled career and legacy.
