Bill Belichick explains what trait made Tom Brady stand out as a rookie

"He would take those guys out extra after practice and run through the plays and that kind of thing."

Bill Belichick saw plenty of potential in Tom Brady long before he established himself as a superstar. Jim Davis / The Boston Globe

By Conor Ryan

August 20, 2024

2 minutes to read

Few expected Tom Brady to come anywhere close to the seven-time Super Bowl champion and football legend that he eventually developed into — even his former coach, Bill Belichick.

As a sixth-round selection in the 2000 NFL Draft, expectations weren’t exactly high for Brady after joining New England. The young QB was slotted well behind starting signal-caller Drew Bledsoe on the team’s depth chart.

With Bledsoe under center — and pushed further down the roster due to the presence of other QBs like John Friesz and Michael Bishop — Brady barely played as a rookie in 2000, making only one appearance and completing just one of three passes.

Of course, the following season saw Brady step into the starting QB role in Foxborough after Bledsoe’s severe injury suffered in Week 2 against the Jets.

But even before Brady exceeded all expectations in 2001 en route to leading New England to its first Super Bowl title, Belichick acknowledged that Brady quickly separated himself from the pack as a rookie — even if that promise didn’t lead to snaps in game situations.

“Tom was one of our hardest workers as a rookie and he didn’t even play,” Belichick said during his latest appearance on ESPN’s ” The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday. “We had a lot of rookies on the roster. We didn’t have any salary cap space. The team was filled with rookies. He would take those guys out extra after practice and run through the plays and that kind of thing.”

"Tom Brady was one of our hardest workers as a rookie & he didn't even play..

He improved every day for 20 years but I think the biggest improvement came in the first 4 years"

Bill Belichick #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/T9lswAzwVl
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 19, 2024

While Brady’s ascension as New England’s starting quarterback was also a byproduct of Mo Lewis’ hit against Bledsoe, Belichick stressed that Brady’s work behind the scenes put him in the position to succeed when his number was called early on in the 2001 season.

“He really improved a lot in 2000 and 2001 when he beat out (Damon) Huard for the backup spot,” Belichick said. “Then, from 2001 to 2002, even when the team wasn’t as good, I thought Tom took strides as a quarterback in 2003, 2004. He improved every day for 20 years, but I think the biggest improvement came in the first four years. He continued to work.”

While expectations might be a bit higher for Drake Maye in his rookie season compared to Brady, the Patriots legend noted earlier this week that rookies shouldn’t necessarily be rushed into game action at the NFL level.

“I think it’s just a tragedy that we’re forcing these rookies to play early, but the reality is the only reason why we are is because we’ve dumbed the game down, which has allowed them to play,” Brady said during a discussion with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith at Fanatics Fest in New York City.

“It used to be thought of at a higher level. We used to spend hours and hours in the offseason, in training camp, trying to be a little bit better the next year. But I think what happens is it discourages the coaches from going to deep levels, because they realize the players don’t have the opportunity to go to a deep level. So they’re just going to teach them where they’re at.”