Who did Tom Brady replace on the Patriots? How Drew Bledsoe's injury changed the trajectory of the franchise

New England Patriots legend Tom Brady announced his retirement on Wednesday after a mediocre season in Tampa Bay and an overall incredible career.

Brady made his debut on September 23, 2001, as a backup of whom little was expected.

Tom Brady came on as a replacement due to an injury to starting QB Drew Bledsoe and hasn't looked back since. New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis knocked down Bledsoe with the New England Patriots trailing 10-3, causing a serious injury.

Brady had made exactly one pass in his professional career when he awoke that morning. Brady took control of the situation in that game and for the next two decades, changed both his own and the team's fortunes.

Nobody realized it at the time, but the trajectory of the franchise changed that day astronomically. Tom Brady would become the most successful player in history and New England would win six Super Bowls. On that day, the Patriots dynasty was really born, with Bill Belichick reaping the rewards of both his coaching ability and Brady's talents.

Drew Bledsoe was the first-overall pick by the Patriots in 1993

Drew Bledsoe was the first-overall pick in the 1993 NFL draft by the New England Patriots. Bledsoe started every game from 1993 until his dangerous injury in Week 2 of 2001. Bledsoe led New England to four postseason visits, including a trip to the Super Bowl in 1996.

He played for the franchise for the majority of his 14-season career, although he also played for the Buffalo Bills and the Dallas Cowboys before retiring in 2006. He guided New England to the playoffs four times and made one Super Bowl appearance during his nine seasons with the team.

Additionally, he was selected for the Pro Bowl three times, and in 1995, he played as the NFL All-Star game's youngest quarterback. In terms of passing yards (29,657), completions (2,544), and passing touchdowns (166), the Patriots Hall of Famer trails only Tom Brady and Steve Grogan in franchise history.

Bledsoe moved to the Buffalo Bills, where he played from 2002 to 2004. He then joined the Dallas Cowboys for two seasons before his retirement. When Bledsoe retired from the NFL in April 2007, he had the fifth-most passing attempts (6,717) and completions (3,839), the seventh-most passing yards (44,611), and the thirteenth-most touchdown passes in NFL history (251).