Tom Brady is the proud owner of several NFL records, from basically every major playoff passing record to Super Bowl rings (five, tied with Hall of Fame defensive lineman Charles Haley for the most in NFL history) and he is quickly creeping up the lists he's not currently topping.
As he enters his 18th season in the league, the former Michigan quarterback has accomplished another first, becoming the only player to ever top the NFL Network's Top 100 list twice. He ranked No. 1 on the first edition of the list annually voted on by the league's players in 2011, then climbed back up to the top spot in the 2017 version, the top 10 of which was revealed last night.
He is also the only player in league history to be ranked among the top five each season — he was No. 4 in 2012 and 2013, No. 3 in 2014 and 2015, and No. 2 in 2016.
Brady was famously suspended for the first four games of the 2016 campaign, but then returned to post one of the greatest seasons by a quarterback in NFL history. Pro Football Focus, the leading analytics site covering the NFL that grades every play of every game, rewarded him a regular-season grade of 99.3, the highest it has ever given a quarterback in 10 years of analyzing the league while also listing him as the top player in the league for last year on their own countdown.
Brady completed 67.4 percent of his passes in the regular season — his highest mark since 2007, when he logged a career-best 68.9 percent success rate — and posted a passer rating of 112.2 — his best since he posted a career-high 117.2 in 2007 with Randy Moss catching his passes. He set a career high with a 28-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Overall, in the 15 regular-season and playoff games he played for the Patriots, Brady threw for 35 touchdowns against just five interceptions and averaged 312.7 passing yards per game. The Patriots went 14-1 in the contests he started, including the biggest comeback in Super Bowl History to seal his "one for the thumb."
The Wolverine has an extensive infographic in its 180-page, annual football preview magazine detailing the accomplishments of Brady's career so far and why last year cemented him as the G.O.A.T. You can find more information on ordering it here.
Michigan tied for seventh nationally with a trio of players making the NFL Network's Top 100 countdown. Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Taylor Lewan, who is entering his fourth NFL season, was ranked No. 72 after making his first Pro Bowl, while Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham was ranked 93rd entering his eighth professional campaign.
---
• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @BSB_Wolverine, @JB_ Wolverine, @AustinFox42 and @Balas_Wolverine
• Like us on Facebook
