During his 20-year career, Tom Brady broke a lot of NFL records while playing quarterback, but what you may not know is that he's also in the NFL record book at another position.
During the 2018 season, Brady caught one pass for 6 yards, which is notable, because it means he has the SECOND-MOST receiving yards in NFL history for a player over 40 years old.
Let's take a look at the all-time list (Each player is listed below with the amount of receiving yards they had after turning 40):
1. Jerry Rice: 2,509 yards
2. Tom Brady: 6 yards
3. Every other player ever over the age of 40, besides Brett Favre: Zero yards
4. Brett Favre: -2 yards
As you can see above, there are only two players in NFL history who have recorded any positive receiving yards after turning 40, but that could change this year thanks to Marcedes Lewis, who re-signed with the Bears in June after spending the 2023 season in Chicago. The tight end turned 40 on May 19 and if he can finish with just 7 receiving yards in 2024, he'll move past Brady in the record book.
Lewis recorded a total of 214 receiving yards as recently as 2021 while playing for the Packers and if he gets anywhere near that total again, he'll blow past Brady in the record book. Even if he just hits his 2023 receiving total of 29 yards, he'll still move past Brady.
The 40-year-old tight end has put himself in a position to pass Brady because of his longevity. Lewis has been in the NFL since 2006 when the Jaguars made him the 28th overall pick in the NFL Draft. He's now going into his 19th season and once he takes his first snap, he'll set the NFL record for most seasons ever played by a tight end, passing Jason Witten and Tony Gonzalez. Lewis, who has played in 268 career games, is also on the verge of breaking Witten's record for most games played by a tight end, which currently sits at 271.
Lewis will be the second oldest player in the NFL this year behind only Aaron Rodgers. If Lewis does pass Brady in the record book, it will likely come on a pass that was thrown by a player who was barely born when the tight end started his career. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was just 4 years old when Lewis played in his first NFL game back in September 2006.
