It just took a moment for the New England Patriots to become one of the great NFL teams in 2001. Former quarterback Drew Bledsoe was leading the offensive unit of the Patriots from the front. In Week 2 of the 2001 season, he was playing against the Jets when the fate of the NFL suddenly changed.

Today Tom Brady is a leading name, and the world recognizes him as one of the living legends, but it wouldn’t have been the case if Bledsoe didn’t pave the way for his successor.

It was the match against the Jets, and the Patriots were playing with Drew Bledsoe at quarterback. Unfortunately, he got hit by the Jets’ linebacker Mo Lewis. He got severely injured and taken back to the locker room.

It paved the way for a sixth-round pick from Michigan to sling the ball from the center. And then the rest is history. It was his destiny that landed Brady in the Patriots, and Belichick chose him above other backups to fill in for Bledsoe.

However, when the veteran returned after recovering from his injuries, Brady had already dominated the position, leaving no choice for Belichick.

Interestingly, Belichick was also a recruit by the Patriots in 2000, the same year Brady got hired by the franchise. While speaking in an interview with Drew Bledsoe, he admitted it was a bitter pill to swallow. When he came back, he was denied his duties and left helpless to watch a rookie from the sidelines.

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“Looking back at it, you know, didn’t like it, didn’t agree with it. But the fact, the matter is we are in the Super Bowl now.” Bledsoe said in the interview, with Brady sitting beside him. This interview was held before the 2002 Super Bowl victory. Later, he mentioned that his bond with Brady had improved, and they were quite close as buddies.

How good was Drew Bledsoe over Tom Brady?

The Washington athlete played for eight seasons with the Patriots before spending time with the Bills and the Cowboys. He was signed as the first pick overall in the 1993 NFL Draft and went on to win the Super Bowl title at the age of 24 (1996). Back then, he was the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history and received a signing bonus of $11.5 million. Bledsoe was the youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl match and had already bagged three Pro Bowl selections by 25.

However, in the later stages of his career, the veteran was unable to sustain his legacy. He failed miserably with a 5-11 record in 2000. The following year he started with 0-2, and later Brady took the charge from the front.

Well, the successor didn’t disappoint the Patriots fans. Over his 20 successful seasons with the franchise, Tom Brady was an undisputed six-time Super Bowl champion. With 14 Pro Bowl selections, several Super Bowl MVPs, and career leaders in touchdowns and passing yardages, the 45-year-old stands tall.

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