Tom Brady Has Produced Staggering Career Numbers but This Is Easily His Most Embarrassing Statistic

When it comes to NFL quarterbacks, Tom Brady is without question the GOAT. He’s the winningest quarterback in regular season and postseason history. He has six Super Bowl titles to his credit. And the list goes on and on. Despite all of his incredible numbers, there’s one glaring statistic that stands out because of its ineptness. Here’s a look at the most embarrassing statistic in Tom Brady’s illustrious career. 

Tom Brady’s Hall of Fame career

RELATED: Tom Brady Lashes Back at Michael Strahan With Slick Burn

When Tom Brady took the reins in New England during the 2001 season, he quickly established himself as one of the league’s best quarterbacks leading the Patriots to a Super Bowl title. It was a precursor of things to come.

Since 2001, Brady has posted eye-popping numbers. He’s led the league in touchdowns on four occasions, most recently in 2015 when he threw 36 touchdown tosses. He’s also been tops in the NFL in passing yards three different times. All of his individual efforts have resulted in Brady earning Pro Bowl honors 14 times and All-Pro three times. 

More important than the individual stats, Brady led the Patriots to six Super Bowl championships in his 20 seasons in New England, the single-most successful period in NFL history. 

Tom Brady’s rushing is easily his worst stat

RELATED: Is Tom Brady the Most Overhyped NFL Player in 2020?

Tom Brady’s name alone is reason enough for NFL fans to turn on the television and watch. It’s a given when he takes the field, he’s adding to the already historic totals of his Hall of Fame career. What fans also expect to see is Brady staying in the pocket and never using his legs to run with the ball like a Russell Wilson or Lamar Jackson. And for the most part, he hasn’t. 

In his 20-plus seasons in the NFL, Brady has rushed for an unbelievably low 1,046 yards on 610 carries, or a lackluster 1.7 yards per carry average. He’s averaged 52 yards on the ground per season. He does, however, have 23 rushing touchdowns to his credit, and his former coach Bill Belichick said it’s not about the total yards with Brady, but the timing. 

“It’s obviously not the yardage he gains; it’s the first downs that he converts,” Belichick said on NFL Films. “When you need half a yard, you get three-quarters of a yard. You need a yard; you get a yard and a half. That’s really the mark of great player or great back, in this case, quarterback. He’s very good at that.”

Interestingly, Brady’s career rushing numbers are approximately 200 yards lower because he’s lost that many yards in the victory formation taking a knee at the end of games. 

Where does Brady rank compared to other greats?

While Tom Brady has thrown for 75,027 yards and rushed for just over 1,000 in his career, his ground numbers aren’t as bad as you might think. In fact, when compared to some of the other great quarterbacks in NFL history, Brady’s number aren’t even close to being the worst.

Drew Brees is in his 20th season. He’s rushed for just 754 yards. Peyton Manning finished his 17-year career with 667 yards. But the title for most minuscule rushing total by a quarterback in a career belongs to Hall of Famer Dan Marino, who rushed for 87 yards in 17 seasons. Marino rushed for an average of 5.11 yards per season.  

Tom Brady will forever be remembered in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day as the greatest quarterback to ever set foot on an NFL field in the game’s storied history. He just won’t be remembered for his legs.