Tom Brady’s career celebrated an anniversary on Friday, marking 21 years since the otherworldly quarterback was drafted by the New England Patriots. Brady was famously the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft and went on to become legendary. And the betting odds show he is not just surviving, but still thriving in the NFL.
Not only is Brady a defending Super Bowl MVP, he is sixth in the odds to be the 2021 NFL MVP. He is currently tied with Lamar Jackson and Matthew Stafford at +1600 for that honor (odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook). Keep in mind Jackson is 24 years old, Stafford is 33, and Brady is 43 freaking years old.
These three rank behind Patrick Mahomes (+500), Aaron Rodgers (+800), Josh Allen (+1200), Russell Wilson (+1400), and Dak Prescott (+1400) in the MVP odds.
As the QB himself pointed out on Twitter, his career is now all grown up.
And he still has no plans to stop playing so his career could reach a quarter-century for all we know. His place in these MVP odds at this stage in his career is undeniably incredible. No doubt his drive to succeed still comes from what happened on this day 21 years ago.
The chip on his shoulder definitely plays a role in the success that led to his odds ranking for NFL MVP at 43 years old. And I bet those odds will be just as good, if not better, when the 22nd anniversary of that draft rolls around.