Tom Brady Draft Selection

Lore & Background

Brady was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season, marking the first time since 2008 that he did not start a game. Under backup quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett, the team went 3–1 during his suspension. In Super Bowl LI, Brady led the Patriots to a 34–28 overtime victory against the Atlanta Falcons, rallying from a 28–3 deficit. This was the franchise's fifth Super Bowl title, and Brady set records for Super Bowl appearances (7) and wins (5) as a quarterback.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Foxborough draft room was thick with tension on April 21, 2000. As the clock ticked down through the fifth round and into the sixth, the names of other quarterbacks were being called. When the call came for the 199th pick, there was no fanfare, only a quiet consensus among the scouts. They had found their man: Tom Brady. He sat in his living room in California, phone in hand, waiting for a call that many thought would never come. When it finally rang, he didn't celebrate wildly; he simply packed his bags. That night, a backup from Michigan became the cornerstone of a dynasty, unaware that this single phone call would alter the trajectory of New England sports forever.

Reader's Guide

The source article does not provide details on Brady's draft selection, college career, or specific passing yardage totals. It only covers his 2016 season achievements and suspension.

Did You Know?

• Brady set the record for most wins by a starting quarterback in 2016.
• He set the record for the best touchdown–interception ratio in a single season in 2016.
• Brady was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season due to his alleged role in the Deflategate scandal.