By Kevin Long
Staff Writer
Pick 199
Bad decisions happen in life. It's unavoidable that once in a while a good opportunity will slip through the cracks. What is still unknown is how so many players were chosen before QB Tom Brady in the 2000 NFL Draft. Brady fell to pick 199, as the New England Patriots’ seventh selection in the draft. He was chosen to serve as a potential backup quarterback to Drew Bledsoe, but as many know, his career went in a different direction.
Tom Brady would go on to become arguably the best quarterback in the history of the NFL, winning seven Super Bowls, and appearing in ten. Brady would rack up an unprecedented amount of honors, including three MVP awards, three All-Pro and 15 Pro Bowl selections, along with five Super Bowl MVP awards. Furthermore, Brady is the all-time passing leader in all major categories including passing touchdowns, completion percentage and passing yards. His impact on the game of football cannot be understated. He is often called the greatest of all time in the history of football, and to some, even all of professional sports. In recent years, Brady moved on from the New England Patriots to further his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, even taking close friend TE Rob Gronkowski along to one last Super Bowl. After winning the Super Bowl in 2021, Brady brought the Buccaneers to the postseason once more, still maintaining a high level of play and being a MVP candidate during the 2021 season.
After a grueling loss to the Los Angeles Rams in early 2022, rumors of Brady’s retirement floated around, with NFL social media accounts even prematurely announcing his retirement before Brady himself had a chance to speak on it.
After much confusion, Brady officially announced his retirement from the NFL on Feb. 1.
The End of an Era
With the growing amount of retirements among legendary quarterbacks, it is becoming clear that the league is quickly changing from what once was. Phillip Rivers, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady and Eli Manning have all retired in the past few seasons, leaving the young quarterbacks of the league to take up the mantle of the greats who came before.
Appreciate the legendary players of the league every time they take the field, as you never know when it will be their last.
