The 2023 NFL playoffs are something of a milestone for Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, who at this point has little else to achieve in the most storied playing career in NFL history.
This marks Brady's 20th time leading a playoff run: more seasons than many of his contemporaries ever see in a career. It's uncertain what the future holds for Brady, whether he decides to finally hang up the cleats for good or return for yet another season (and, if so, with what team). So it bears watching whether he can lead yet another deep playoff run.
Of course, Brady's astounding longevity and clutch play has led to an equally astounding playoff record, one that each of the other 13 playoff quarterbacks this year runs would be jealous of.
With that, The Sporting News looks at Tom Brady's career playoff record, win percentage and Super Bowl history, comparing it to the remainder of the quarterbacks leading playoff runs in 2023:
MORE: How Patrick Mahomes became AFC's oldest starter in 2023 playoffs and what it means for NFL
Tom Brady's playoff record
Unsurprisingly, Brady has the most postseason wins of any quarterback in the 2023 NFL playoffs: 35, part of a 35-12 record. He has led postseason runs in 19 seasons (not counting the 2022 season).
Equally impressive is the fact Brady has led at least one playoff win in 16 trips to the postseason; the only playoff runs that ended with an 0-1 record came in 2010, 2016 and 2020 — all in New England. Moreover, Brady has won at least two games in 11 different trips to the playoffs.
Most QB wins in 2023 NFL playoffs
Brady has the most postseason victories of any quarterback playing in the 2023 NFL playoffs, with only three other signal-callers — the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, the Bengals' Joe Burrow and the Bills' Josh Allen — logging multiple victories.
Two more quarterbacks, Dak Prescott of the Cowboys and Kirk Cousins of the Vikings, have one playoff victory on their resume. Here's how Brady compares to the rest of the field in career playoff record:
| Quarterback | Team | Playoff record |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tom Brady | Buccaneers | 35-12 |
| 2. Patrick Mahomes | Chiefs | 8-3 |
| T-3. Joe Burrow | Bengals | 3-1 |
| T-3. Josh Allen | Bills | 3-3 |
| T-5. Kirk Cousins | Vikings | 1-3 |
| T-5. Dak Prescott | Cowboys | 1-3 |
| T-7. Tyler Huntley | Ravens | 0-1 |
| T-7. Jalen Hurts | Eagles | 0-1 |
Best win percentage among 2023 NFL playoff QBs
Brady may have the most playoff wins in his career, but he doesn't have the highest playoff win percentage among this year's playoff field. That would go to Burrow, whose 3-1 record in the 2022 playoffs has netted him a .750 win percentage — just slightly better than Brady's career mark of .744.
Here's how this year's quarterbacks rank in terms of playoff win percentage:
| Quarterback | Team | Win percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Joe Burrow | Bengals | .750 |
| 2. Tom Brady | Buccaneers | .744 |
| 3. Patrick Mahomes | Chiefs | .727 |
| 4. Josh Allen | Bills | .500 |
| T-5. Kirk Cousins | Vikings | .250 |
| T-5. Dak Prescott | Cowboys | .250 |
| T-7. Tyler Huntley | Ravens | .000 |
| T-7. Jalen Hurts | Eagles | .000 |
QBs making NFL playoff debuts in 2023
While the 2023 NFL playoffs will have their fair share of experienced signal-callers, they will also see several quarterbacks making their debuts. A surprising entry in this list is Geno Smith, who despite entering the league in 2013 is making his first playoff start after a 9-8 season with the Seahawks.
Skylar Thompson is the presumed starter in Miami after Tua Tagovailoa failed to clear concussion protocol and Teddy Bridgewater continues to deal with a lingering injury to his throwing hand. Brock Purdy is in a similar boat, taking over for the injured Jimmy Garropolo (who in turn took over for Trey Lance). Unlike Thompson, Purdy has led the 49ers to a 5-0 record and secured the No. 2 seed of the NFC playoffs.
The remainder of the playoff quarterbacks are all players who went no higher than sixth overall in their respective NFL drafts: Daniel Jones (No. 6 in 2019) Justin Herbert (No. 6 in 2020) and Trevor Lawrence (No. 1 in 2021).
Will one of those quarterbacks replicate Brady's first time leading a playoff run, in which he led the Patriots to a Super Bowl victory?
| Quarterback | Team |
|---|---|
| Justin Herbert | Chargers |
| Daniel Jones | Giants |
| Trevor Lawrence | Jaguars |
| Brock Purdy | 49ers |
| Geno Smith | Seahawks |
| Skylar Thompson | Dolphins |
Best Super Bowl record among 2023 playoff QBs
Of course, the end goal of the NFL playoffs is to make — and win — the Super Bowl. Brady once again outpaces the field in that mark with an impressive 7-3 record.
The only other quarterbacks in the 2023 NFL playoffs who have even played in the Super Bowl are Burrow and Mahomes. And Brady has more Super Bowl wins — and Super Bowl losses — than they have Super Bowl appearances:
| Quarterback | Team | Super Bowl record |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tom Brady | Buccaneers | 7-3 |
| 2. Patrick Mahomes | Chiefs | 1-1 |
| 3. Joe Burrow | Bengals | 0-1 |