Did Tom Brady three-peat in Super Bowl? Former NFL QB came up short of historic mark
Tom Brady and the Super Bowl were inseparable for much of his NFL career.
In 23 seasons in the NFL with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the former Michigan quarterback appeared in 10 Super Bowls and hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in seven of those trips — two of several NFL records on which he etched his name.
But even with Brady's impressive run in past Super Bowls, there was one thing the three-time NFL Most Valuable Player didn't do: win the big game in three consecutive seasons.
It's a feat that Brady could see take place on Sunday in person from the broadcast booth at Caesars Superdome when Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 59.
Here's what you need to know about Brady's Super Bowl appearances in his career:
Did Tom Brady ever win three consecutive Super Bowls?
No, Brady never three-peated as a Super Bowl champion in his NFL career.
However, Brady came close several times in his career, including winning three Super Bowls in four seasons, highlighted by back-to-back Super Bowl wins. (He is now one of eight quarterbacks in NFL history to reach that feat, after Mahomes led the Chiefs to a Super Bowl win last year vs. the San Francisco 49ers).
To reach that feat, Brady first helped the Patriots hoist their first Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl 36 in February 2002, when the Patriots beat the St. Louis Rams 20-17. New England failed to qualify for the playoffs the next year with a 9-7 record, but managed to return to the playoffs — and the Super Bowl — in the 2003 season.
There, Brady and the Patriots beat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 38 after driving New England down the field for a game-winning field goal from Adam Vinatieri late in the fourth quarter. He then threw for 236 passing yards and two touchdowns in Super Bowl 39 to beat the Eagles, capping a run of three Super Bowls in four seasons:
Year reflects season
- 2001: Super Bowl win (Patriots 20, Rams 17)
- 2002: Did not qualify for playoffs
- 2003: Super Bowl win (Patriots 32, Panthers 29)
- 2004: Super Bowl win (Patriots 24, Eagles 21)
The Patriots failed to return to the Super Bowl the next season to achieve a three-peat, as they were eliminated by the Denver Broncos in the AFC divisional round. However, that wasn't the last time they'd be a mainstay in the Super Bowl.
New England won two Super Bowls in three seasons in the 2015 and 2017 seasons, respectively. It lost in the AFC championship game in the year between vs. Peyton Manning and the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos. Brady led Super Bowl appearances each of the ensuing following seasons, losing Super Bowl 52 to the Eagles and beating the Rams in Super Bowl 53.
In all, the Patriots appeared in four Super Bowls in five seasons, including three straight appearances in Super Bowls 51-53. However, losses in the AFC championship game (2015 season) and Super Bowl (2017 season) both contributed to Brady being unable to three-peat during that stretch run.
Year reflects season
- 2014: Super Bowl win (Patriots 28, Seahawks 24)
- 2015: Lost AFC championship (Broncos 20, Patriots 18)
- 2016: Super Bowl win (Patriots 34, Falcons 28)
- 2017: Super Bowl loss (Eagles 41, Patriots 33)
- 2018: Super Bowl win (Patriots 13, Rams 3)
Tom Brady Super Bowl history, record, wins
- Tom Brady record in Super Bowl: 7-3
In 23 seasons in the NFL with the Patriots and Buccaneers, Brady appeared in 10 Super Bowls (the most by a single player) and went 7-3 overall.
Brady's three losses in the Super Bowl came in Super Bowl 42 and Super Bowl 46 against Eli Manning and the New York Giants, and then Super Bowl 52 against Nick Foles and the Eagles.
In Super Bowl 52 against the Eagles, then coached by Doug Pederson, Brady threw for 505 yards and three touchdowns — the most passing yards by a quarterback in the Super Bowl. Brady also holds the Super Bowl record for most pass attempts (62) and pass completions (43), which he both set in Super Bowl 51 against the Atlanta Falcons.
Here is a list of the results from the 10 Super Bowls in which Brady competed:
- Super Bowl 36 (2002): Patriots 20, Rams 17
- Super Bowl 38 (2004): Patriots 32, Panthers 29
- Super Bowl 39 (2005): Patriots 24, Eagles 21
- Super Bowl 42 (2008): Giants 17, Patriots 14
- Super Bowl 46 (2012): Giants 21, Patriots 17
- Super Bowl 49 (2015): Patriots 28, Seahawks 24
- Super Bowl 51 (2017): Patriots 34, Falcons 28
- Super Bowl 52 (2018): Eagles 41, Patriots 33
- Super Bowl 53 (2019): Patriots 13, Rams 3
- Super Bowl 55 (2021): Buccaneers 31, Chiefs 9