Tom Brady, three-time Hall of Famer?| |  | (Michael Wagstaffe/Yahoo Sports illustration)
| | | | | | | | By Jay Hart
Here’s a new angle on Tom Brady: Is he a three-time Hall of Famer?
While his string of greatness is in its 22nd year now, Brady’s career really can be broken up into three acts:
• Young Brady, the surprise sixth-rounder who came out of nowhere to shock everyone.
• Mature Brady, who immortalized himself as the GOAT.
• “Old” Brady, who’s determined to be the first person to beat Father Time.
With an understanding that “Old” Brady still has a few years in him — six if you believe he’ll play until he’s 50 — here’s the statistical case for each:
The case for Young Brady (age 23-29):
• Three Super Bowl victories
• Two Super Bowl MVPs
• .744 regular season winning percentage
• 147 TD passes (5 fewer than Bart Starr)
The case for Mature Brady (age 30-39):
• Two Super Bowl victories
• Two Super Bowl MVPs
• Three league MVPs
• .801 regular season winning percentage
• 309 TD passes (more than John Elway)
The case for "Old" Brady (age 40-??):
• Two Super Bowl victories for two different teams
• A Super Bowl MVP
• .742 regular season winning percentage
• 134 TD passes
Only four quarterbacks have won more than two Super Bowls, and the other three are in the Hall of Fame. So Young Brady is in.
The best comparison to Mature Brady’s career is John Elway, and if your career is comparable to John Elway, then you’re in.
“Old” Brady has already won Super Bowls for two different teams, something only two other QBs in the history of the game have done. That alone puts him in rare air. Factor in that in a matter of a few weeks “Old” Brady will pass Roger Staubach on the career touchdown list and, if he continues the pace he’s on, Troy Aikman ... well, then he’s in, too. He could also just win another Super Bowl, matching Young Brady with three, and get in that way.
So to answer the question, yeah, Tom Brady is a three-time Hall of Famer.
Next question: Could he add a fourth with “Really Old” Brady?
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