It’s been almost three years since Tom Brady – arguably the greatest NFL player of all time — decided to retire after one of the best careers in the history of professional sports.
In those 23 years with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brady won seven Super Bowls and appeared in three others. He also won three MVPs and effectively established the NFL career record for nearly every notable passing statistic.
Of course, Brady did all of that after being picked in the sixth round (199th overall) of the 2000 NFL Draft. If there’s anyone out there who the 2025 draft class should be listening to, it’s the Golden Boy.
Tom Brady Urges NFL Prospects To Ignore Fans & Pundits, Focus On Winning Mentality
Brady, who has a weekly newsletter called “The 199” (named after his own draft spot), reflected in his latest post about the 2025 NFL Draft and the 257 draft selections who now call the league home.
As he’s always said, Brady wrote that regardless of a player’s physical gifts and traits, it’s the heart and mentality that determines success at the highest level.
“And we won’t know exactly who until the demands of playing this game at the highest level reveal the aspects of their character that are the most important to building a winning team: determination, competitiveness, resilience, perseverance, humility, integrity, intelligence. I don’t care if you were the last guy signed or the first guy picked, on winning teams these are the traits that are going to matter most.”
On the same note, Brady was sure to take a swipe at NFL fans, writers, and pundits, explaining that what they see on the field isn’t what is inside a player’s head and heart.
“Don’t tell that to some of these pundits, though. They already know what’s going to happen. They’ve crunched the Combine data and measured the immeasurables. Their deep dives and draft grades are already flying around the internet, anointing some teams’ draft classes, condemning others, certain who the blue chippers are and convinced who the busts will be. I look forward to printing out and going through some of their stories, because I need something to line my cat’s litter box.”
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Now, in fairness to those of us who write about this sport and outlets like PFSN that cover every nook and cranny of the league, Brady did acknowledge that “critics and commentators aren’t always wrong.” In fact, he went so far as to suggest that “they’re right often enough, just not for the reasons they think.”
Brady, who serves as an on-air talent for FOX during game broadcasts and plays an important role in the Las Vegas Raiders organization as a minority owner, knows better than anyone that there’s no book on how to succeed at the highest level of sports. There’s no straight path to follow, and a player drafted at No. 199 overall can be just as productive as the first overall pick.
His comments aren’t meant to discourage anyone from discussing football. The legendary quarterback is just reminding all of us that no matter how definitive a take is presented as, it’s up the players themselves to determine how successful they’ll be at the next level.
And, of course, the NFL draft is just plain fun to write and talk and even argue about. Heck, Brady’s been doing it since he retired. Sports are entertainment, and as long as such conversations are held in good faith, everyone should enjoy participating.
