When you’ve thrown over 630 career touchdown passes, you’re bound to have worked with some special receivers, but just who are the top 5 who caught Tom Brady's passes?
After winning seven Super Bowls, it’s fair to say that Brady's list of receiving teammates is littered with Hall of Fame credentials. Some, however, have forged a stronger bond with the veteran quarterback than others.
Immediate names like Rob Gronkowski and Randy Moss spring to mind, with whom Brady broke records, but there are other players who have made a legacy with Tom Terrific.
Who are the 5 players to have caught the most TD passes from Tom Brady?
5. Mike Evans – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (30 TDs)
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Mike Evans is a recent entry into the logs of Brady’s NFL career. After joining forces when the QB arrived in Tampa Bay, Evans suddenly enjoyed the presence of an elite thrower.
After years of playing with a less than brilliant roster with the Buccaneers, Evans was able to combine his own exceptional talents with Brady’s ability to find open passes.
In 2020, Evans scored 13 touchdowns and caught 1,006 yards. It was his first year working with the veteran QB.
They built on this early chemistry, and Evans quickly became the primary target in Brady’s new offense.
They still playing together, so this number will continue to rise. With a skillset similar to Randy Moss', Evans took to TB12’s throwing like a duck to water.
In their three seasons together in Florida, Evans has caught 30 touchdown passes from Brady.
4. Wes Welker – New England Patriots (38 TDs)
Tom Brady watched as Bill Belichick constantly reshuffled the offensive pieces he had to play with. Unlike in Tampa, where Brady has been able to steer the team’s offensive recruitment strategy, in New England, he worked with what he was given.
Welker was a player who nobody expected anything from. He went undrafted in 2004 and was then cut by the San Diego Chargers. His time with the Miami Dolphins wasn’t much better, but Belichick saw something and traded for him.
Welker then became one of Brady’s greatest ever teammates. His work as a slot receiver caused countless problems for defenses and allowed Brady to become even more prolific through the center of the field.
They spent six seasons as teammates. In that time, Welker caught 38 touchdown passes from the 45-year-old, and Welker led the NFL for receptions in three different seasons.
3. Randy Moss – New England Patriots (40 TDs)
Randy Moss was another Bill Belichick rehabilitation plan success story. After exhausting allies in Minnesota and Oakland, the Patriots rolled the dice and brought an unwanted Moss into their facility.
Immediately struck by the professionalism of the Patriots, the wide receiver turned his career around.
His connection with Brady bordered on the telepathic. In his debut season in Foxboro, Moss led the NFL in touchdowns with 23. This was also an NFL record that stands to this day.
Over the course of their partnership, Moss caught 40 touchdown passes from Brady and was one game short of a perfect season.
It was this partnership that really took TB12 to the next level. He showed that he could work with a genuinely elite receiver, and it took the respect people had for him to new heights.
2. Julian Edelman – New England Patriots (41 TDs)
Edelman had a very similar career trajectory to Wes Welker. Not much was expected of the diminutive receiver either, but he turned into one of Tom Brady’s best disciples.
Over the course of their time together, he caught the most touchdown passes from Brady as a wide receiver.
He registered 41 touchdowns from him and was also successful in Super Bowls, winning three.
The pair had an exceptional relationship off the field as well. Many expected Edelman to come out of retirement and rekindle his partnership with Tom, but that did not happen.
“I think he [Brady] needs to start being talked about like Michael Jordan,” explained Edelman after retirement.
1. Rob Gronkowski – New England Patriots/Tampa Bay Buccaneers (105 TDs)
As you can perhaps tell by the sheer gulf between the 41 touchdown passes thrown to Edelman and the 105 thrown to Rob Gronkowski, the tight end is Tom Brady’s greatest ever receiving option.
Only Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison have recorded more touchdowns together in the NFL. Gronkowski reinvented the tight end position with Tom Terrific’s help.
He was so physically dominant that Tom Brady could often just loop balls up into hopeful areas and the receiver would catch them.
Teams could plan for this but couldn’t do anything to stop it. The understanding between the two was so special that, when Brady left New England and called upon Gronk to unretire and join him in Florida, he didn’t even need to think twice.
Once both players are retired and in the Hall of Fame, you won’t be able to look at Tom Brady’s career without recognizing the impact Gronkowski had on it.
If Moss gave Brady the chance to work with a naturally elite receiver, then Gronkowski gave the quarterback the chance to formulate an entire offensive plan that would serve him well for years.
Rob Gronkowski is Tom Brady’s greatest passing option. He has caught the most touchdowns from the GOAT and has achieved the highest amount of team success.
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