Tom Brady’s ascension to the greatest quarterback in NFL history has been improbable, which has made it so appealing.
Brady, as is well known, was a sixth-round pick by the New England Patriots (No. 199 overall) in the 2000 NFL Draft. New England already had a strong starter in Drew Bledsoe, so Brady was projected to compete for a backup job. Brady ultimately became the team’s backup but sat behind Bledsoe for the 2000 season.
In a profile by E:60 called “Better With Age,” Bledsoe recalls his thoughts on Brady. Bledsoe said he viewed Brady as someone who would be a career backup, similar to Jason Garrett.
"He's never gonna be a starter…he's gonna be Jason Garrett or one of those guys who's just gonna be around forever…" – @DrewBledsoe on how he felt about rookie @TomBrady pic.twitter.com/euIFMZtqNQ
— E60 (@E60) January 22, 2020
Bledsoe could not have been more wrong.
The now-retired quarterback got injured in 2001, and Brady took over the starting job. He won the Super Bowl that season, and the Patriots traded Bledsoe to the Bills over the offseason. The guy Bledsoe didn’t view as more than a backup took over the starting job and was the reason Bledsoe’s career with the Patriots ended. Oh, and Brady went on to become the best quarterback ever, and never had to revive this old résumé .
Maybe the takeaway here is never to underestimate someone who happens to be lower than you on the totem pole.
