The unimaginable has happened – Tom Brady has left New England, the team he called home for two decades.
As a New England Patriot, Brady wracked up six Super Bowl rings, four Super Bowl MVPs and more than 50 NFL records.
In his 20 seasons at Gillette Stadium, Tom Brady has undoubtedly earned quite the highlight reel and it was no mean feat to pick his greatest plays.
But we thought we would give it a go anyway – and this does only include plays and not moments or entire games of which there are also dozens.
Let us know if you agree…
10. Tom Brady reaches 1,000 rushing yards
Ok – so we’re starting with a bit of an insignificant one in the grand scheme of things but there was a time when it seemed notching up 1,000 rushing yards was all Tom Brady thought about.
And he finally achieved his long-awaited dream in a week 13 game against the Minnesota Vikings back in 2018.
The 5-yard dash wasn’t flashy but it was enough for a first down and Patriots fans everywhere were all smiling but none more than Brady himself.
9. Brady’s 43-yard touchdown pass to Brian Tyms
In a list celebrating Tom Brady’s elite quarterbacking ability, it would be rude to ignore this sublime pass to wide receiver Brian Tyms.
The 37-22 victory over the Buffalo Bills in 2014 was not the most memorable but it was a throw from Brady into triple coverage that snagged highlight of the night.
Tyms fought off three defenders, including soon to be Patriot and DPOY Stephon Gilmore to catch the perfectly thrown pass which, if it had been an inch out, would have failed.
You can watch the beautiful play here.
8. Brady catches pass from Danny Amendola
Brady isn’t the only one who can throw passes at Foxborough – heck, even Edelman has a touchdown pass to his name.
But Brady also has other strings to his bow and has been known to catch a pass or two in his time.
In an excellently designed play, one perfect example of this was in the 35-28 loss to the Eagles in 2015 – they might have lost the game but this was a sweet moment for Patriots fans.
7. Brady throws go-ahead touchdown pass in Super Bowl 49
Tom Brady has made a name for himself by being a true leader of a great franchise and part of that is having faith in his team mates.
Of course, one of his most reliable targets is Julian Edelman and Brady didn’t flinch when throwing this touchdown pass to his best buddy for the go ahead against the Seahawks.
Despite the play failing earlier that drive, which could have scared off lesser QBs, Brady proved he trusts his best receiver to get it done.
Edelman created his trademark separation to catch the perfect throw and put the Patriots up 28-24.
And of course, the Patriots never lost the lead thanks to a Malcolm Butler interception.
6. Record-breaking touchdown pass to Josh Gordon
Tom Brady has a lot of NFL records to his name – most Super Bowl appearances, most overall touchdown passes, and most Super Bowl passing yards to name a few.
But this sweet throw made Josh Gordon his 71st different touchdown receiver, setting yet another NFL record – and what a throw it was.
The pass, which was also Gordon’s first touchdown in a Patriots uniform, was thrown into tight double coverage by the Indianapolis Colts but of course that was no problem for Brady.
The Patriots went on to win 38-24 and Brady moved into third all time with 500 passing touchdowns.
You can watch the throw here.
5. Brady scores go-ahead TD with QB sneak past Ravens
They say in life the only things certain are death and taxes but Patriots fans know if there’s one yard to go on the goal line, you can be certain Brady will go for a sneak.
In his two-decade career, Tom Brady has perfected the art of the quarterback sneak to devastating effect.
The best example of this? When he put up the go-ahead score against the Baltimore Ravens in the 2012 AFC Championship game.
In an audible which demonstrates Brady’s exemplary intuition, the quarterback jumped over his lineman while Ray Lewis tried to snap him in two.
Brady landed on his head and put the Patriots up and, thanks to a missed Cundiff field goal, the Patriots won the game 23-20.
4. Statue of Liberty play against Jacksonville Jaguars
Another elite skill of Tom Brady is his acting – no we’re not talking about his Boston accent in that Funny or Die sketch.
Brady can bluff with the best of them, an invaluable asset when you’ve got master of the trick play Josh McDaniels on the sideline.
There’s no better example of this than the customised statue of liberty play in the divisional playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In a play the Pats called Double Pop, it was actually a reverse Statue of Liberty play, in that the run, not the pass, was the fake element.
Center Dan Koppen faked a direct snap to Patriots running back Kevin Faulk, causing the defense to move to stop the run.
Meanwhile, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who received the football, faked an over-the-head snap, and held the Statue of Liberty pose with his back to the defense.
Next thing you know, he’s turning around and throwing a touchdown pass to wide receiver Wes Welker in the back of the end zone.
Of course, this was in the infamous 2007 season and the Patriots’ 31-20 victory moved them to 17-0. We won’t talk about how that season ended.
3. Brady’s throw to Rob Gronkowski in Super Bowl 53
This supreme 29-yard pass to Rob Gronkowski will now go down in history as an iconic moment in the Patriots’ legacy.
Not only was it Gronk’s final game in Patriots uniform and set up the winning score, it will also be Brady’s final Super Bowl victory as a Patriot.
The pass had laser precision and dropped to a double-covered Gronk, thrown in the only spot he could have caught it.
This was by far the most electric offensive play of the game in what was a heavily defensive match-up and showed that even at 42, Tom Brady’s arm was still a weapon.
2. Brady’s 50th touchdown pass to Randy Moss
We couldn’t put together a list of greatest plays by Tom Brady without this iconic moment again from their formidable 2007 season.
The touchdown marked Brady’s 50th that season and put the Patriots ahead in their final week.
With a five-point deficit and their perfect season on the line, Brady launched a 65-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss which broke multiple NFL records.
Moss set the record for most touchdown receptions in a season with 33 and Brady set one for touchdown passes.
The Patriots would go on to be the first team in NFL history to secure a 16-0 regular season with their 38-25 victory at the Met Life Stadium.
1. Sealing victory over Drew Brees and the Saints
Tom Brady has a few nicknames – Tommy Terrific, the GOAT – but the most fitting and indisputable? The Comeback Kid.
If this was a list of greatest comebacks, this game would probably feature and Super Bowl 51 would undoubtedly top the list.
But for singular plays from the man himself this one tops them all.
It was October 2013 and the Patriots were hosting the New Orleans Saints in a nail-biter for the ages.
With less than 10 seconds on the clock and trailing 27-23, Brady threw this incredible pass to the back of the end zone where it was reeled in by Kenbrell Thompkins.
Gillette Stadium went nuts, Patriots fans around the globe jumped up and down as Brady did what he does best, completing the comeback and winning 30-27.
So there you have it. What do you think? Are there Tom Brady plays you think should be included? Head to our Facebook page to join the discussion here.