4 Tom Brady stats you won’t believe about Patriots legend
By Adam Weinrib
2. Tom Brady and Jerry Rice, Nos. 1 and 2
The greatest wide receiver in NFL history after the age of 40? Well, that’s the one and only Jerry Rice. He also happens to be the greatest wide receiver in the history of this beautiful game of football.
Our wideout GOAT — another one of Brady’s childhood heroes — racked up 22,895 yards and 197 touchdowns in a remarkable, age-defying career that lasted parts of 21 seasons, and surprisingly overlapped with TB12’s time in the league from 2000-2004. Of course, Rice was a 2001 Raider, so he was an eyewitness to the Tuck Rule — as long as he could see through the blizzard at the time.
Like Brady, Rice didn’t slow down as he approached relative old age, putting up 2,169 receiving yards after turning 40, the most all time … by a significant margin.
In second place? Brady. With six yards.
This is, of course, abject silliness, and most will recall that Brady’s receiving career helped derail Super Bowl LII against the Philadelphia Eagles. It does stand as yet another testament to Brady’s will, though.
Most NFL quarterbacks don’t approach 40, and most of them who do aren’t exactly athletic specimens. For Brady to not only ply his pliable trade all the way to the age of 44, but haul in enough passes to rank below the great Jerry Rice in receiving yardage as well, is quite impressive.
We hope this record never falls, though advances in medical technology will probably give us a 50-year-old Jaylen Waddle before too long. Let’s make sure to cherish this one as long as Brady qualifies.