Nov 25, 2018; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Fans wearing New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (not pictured) jerseys and goat masks stand during the fourth quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
With the Patriots win over the Rams on Sunday in Super Bowl LIII, Tom Brady has now accrued more rings than any other player in NFL history.
He has also tied Michael Jordan’s mark of six championships.
You can rest assured that barber shops around the country are about to ignite with an all-important sports debate: Which GOAT is greater?
Critics will say that’s an impossible question to answer—you can’t compare two athletes who play totally different games! Nonetheless, you know the conversation is going to happen so we’re here to reduce some subjective uncertainty.
Though there’s no way to create a perfectly valid and reliable comparison between Brady and Jordan, we’ve shed light on the debate by breaking down each player’s key numbers. Afterward, we share our (admittedly imperfect) verdict on whose résumé is superior.
In one corner: TB12, the Cali QB who’s become Boston royalty. In the other: His Airness, the iconic No. 23 with the hoop earring. Let’s get ready to rumble.
Championships
Jordan: 6 (in 6 appearances)
Brady: 6 (in 9 appearances)
Jordan’s six-for-six mark is holy ground; that record is the main reason some folks won’t even listen to arguments about LeBron James (who’s gone 3-for-9 in the NBA Finals) being basketball’s best of all time. And there’s no short-selling its impressiveness—seriously, who goes six for six in championship matchups?
The question is, should Brady be penalized for getting close but falling short three times? Jordan made the finals in 6-of-15 seasons (.400). Brady has made the Super Bowl in 9-of-19. (.464). It’s ridiculous to penalize a player more so for losing in the championship than, say, the divisional round of the playoffs.
It should also be noted that Brady now possesses the most Super Bowl victories (six) in NFL history, whereas Jordan is tied for 10th (first-place Bill Russell is way ahead with 11).
Edge: Brady
MVPs
Regular Season MVPs
Jordan: 5
Brady: 3
Jordan claimed the NBA’s top individual honor in 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, and 1998. He won it three times before his minor league baseball stint and twice thereafter. Brady won his third MVP last year, after also winning MVP in 2007 and 2010.
Championship MVPs
Jordan: 6 (in 6 appearances)
Brady: 4 (in 9 appearances)
Jordan was clearly the most important player in all six of his NBA Finals appearances. In the Finals, he averaged 33.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, while shooting 37 percent from three-point range, well above his career average of 33 percent.
With the exception of his first appearance—in 2001, when he was a glorified game manager—Brady has been excellent in all of his Super Bowls, even playing well in New England’s losses. But Deion Branch took home MVP in 2005 and Julian Edelman was named MVP of Super Bowl LIII.
Edge: Jordan
Jordan: 1987-88
Brady: 2007-08
The Patriots loaded up on offense in 2007, adding receivers Randy Moss and Wes Welker as well as running back Sammy Morris. They straight up annihilated opponents, winning by an average score of 37-17. Brady threw for 4,806 yards and 50 touchdowns with only eight interceptions. He had an insane passer rating of 117.2.
Though it’s borderline impossible to decide on Jordan’s best campaign (a credit to his epic career), we’ll give the edge to his efforts in 1987-88. Jordan averaged 35.0 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game in winning MVP—oh, and he just happened to also win Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league in steals per game. He also won a legendary Slam Dunk Contest as Chicago hosted All-Star Weekend.
Edge: Tie
Longevity
Jordan: 15 seasons
Brady: 19 seasons
No question who wins this category: it’s Brady. At the age of 41, he may have fallen off slightly (we’ve seen hints of deterioration this season), but he’s still shown the ability to outplay everyone else when it matters most. And he’s aging like a fine wine, having led the Patriots to appearances in three straight Super Bowls and four of the last five.
Keep in mind that Jordan was 38-40 when we saw him with the Wizards. He was still pretty good, but he was far from MVP or NBA Finals contention.
Edge: Brady
Playoffs
Jordan: 30-7 (in series)
Brady: 30-10 (individual games)
Jordan has a better mark in the postseason with a godly 81 percent series win percentage. The margin for error for Brady is smaller due to the NFL’s sudden-death format. Brady has a 75 percent win percentage. Still impressive, but not on Jordan’s level.
Edge: Jordan
All-Star Recognitions
Jordan: 14 (in 15 seasons)
Brady: 14 (in 19 seasons)
Brady was one of three AFC quarterbacks voted onto the roster this season (with Patrick Mahomes and Philip Rivers), though some argued Andrew Luck deserved the honor more than Brady. Brady missed the game in 2000 (his rookie season), 2001-2003, and 2008 (when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter of Week One).
Jordan only missed the game in 1994-95 (when he returned from minor-league baseball midway through the season). Jordan also won two Slam Dunk Contests, providing one of the most memorable images in NBA All-Star Weekend history when he took off from the free throw line in 1988.
Edge: Jordan
Scoring
Jordan: 4th in NBA career points
Brady: 3rd in NFL career passing touchdowns
Brady (517 touchdowns) and Drew Brees (520) are chasing Peyton Manning (539). They’ll almost certainly both pass him. Brady is 16 months older than Brees. It’s anyone’s guess which player will end up at No. 1.
Jordan (32,292 points) holds fourth place on the NBA’s scoring list, but LeBron James (31,966) is right behind him. Dirk Nowitzki, who’s in sixth place and has 31,254 points, also has a shot at catching MJ in the near future.
Edge: Brady
Jordan: Game-winning jumper in Game 6 of the 1998 Finals
Brady: 28-3 comeback against Atlanta in 2017 Super Bowl
Two unforgettable scenes. Jordan (ahem) created some separation between himself and the Jazz’s Bryon Russell to knock down his final shot attempt as a Bull and claim his final championship. He held the release like the stone-cold killer he was.
Late in the third quarter, Brady’s team trailed Matt Ryan’s Falcons 28-3, but TB12 methodically rallied the Patriots to storm back in the fourth quarter and win the game in overtime. Somehow, it just felt the whole game like Brady was going to pull off the comeback. Brady racked up 466 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Edge: Tie
The GOAT
Brady doesn’t think he’s Jordan’s equal—or at least that’s what he says.
“He’s at a different level to me," Brady told Westwood One ahead of last year’s Super Bowl. “When you're a kid, and you’re watching Michael Jordan—the most incredible athlete I've ever seen—I could never see myself that way."
In a separate interview, Brady threw a few other athletes in that untouchable class.
“I mean, when I was a kid, Michael Jordan was everything,” Brady told Dan Patrick. “I had his posters on my wall. I had Joe Montana and Steve Young, and I loved baseball. Don Mattingly and Wade Boggs—those guys, there's a special place for them. I don’t think I could ever be compared to them, just because of the way I see them in my eyes.”
And the truth is...he’s right. Sort of.
Jordan still holds the lead, but his grip on it is slipping. Some people will never admit any athlete is on MJ’s level, but Brady’s consistent greatness over two decades has helped him narrow the gap.
And he still has time to bolster his legacy. As Clay Travis recently said, if Brady plays at a high level for just a few more years, “the boring Jordan vs. LeBron debate might turn into ‘Tom Brady versus everyone.’”
Someday in the near future, Tom Brady’s résumé may indeed be more impressive than Michael Jordan’s, with Brady surpassing Jordan as the most accomplished team-sport athlete in U.S. history. That day just isn’t today.