Among all NFL players, there is no debate that Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback in history. The majority of the sports' analysts, fans, and co-athletes agree on this claim. So, what made him the fairest of them all?
The Greatest Quarterback of All Time
Brady is quite patriotic in being a Patriot. He has never left the team since he first joined it in 2000. Right after his college football career with the University of Michigan, the New England Patriots recruited him to play in the 2000 National Football League’s sixth round. He took over the quarterback position from Drew Bledsoe due to an unanticipated injury in 2001.
Setting World Records
Perhaps, including him in the 2000 NFL Draft was one of the best decisions the squad could have made. The Patriots never lost a single season ever since Brady played as the team’s starting quarterback, and took home sixteen division titles. Brady has set several NFL records including nine Super Bowl participations, eight straight AFC Championship Games appearances, and nine out of thirteen AFC Championship Games' victories.
His accolades include a record-breaking four Super Bowl Most Valuable Player awards and three league MVP awards. He is also, by far, the only quarterback to lead his team into sixteen division titles in the history of NFL. Brady holds a world record of being the oldest quarterback to triumph in Super Bowl, and taking home the most number of Super Bowl victories by a footballer.
Not the Highest-Paid Player
Now, with all these titles and recognition, it is a surprise that Brady isn’t the most expensive quarterback in the league. Russell Wilson, for example, recently signed a $35 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks while Brady’s annual salary is just $15 million. Even though he can for sure ask for a raise, Brady has a very good reason not to do so.
First of all, he is married to a $400 million-worth supermodel Gisele Bündchen. He even joked about him being smart for marrying a very successful woman in an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! With his wife earning a lot of money, a $185 million net worth for him doesn’t seem so bad.
Winning is the Top Priority
Plus, Brady’s priority isn’t the money, instead, victory is all that matters to him. Brady explained that by opting for a smaller paycheck, it allows the team to gain more outstanding players. He understands that if he asks for more money, the team wouldn’t be able to afford to pay for other high-profile athletes.
It sounds very noble, but at the same time, it is a very smart strategy. With more great players around him, winning several championship leagues becomes so much easier to accomplish. Perhaps, that’s the secret behind his successful career after all.