FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Today, the Associated Press named Tom Brady the National Football League's Most Valuable Player for the 2017 season. It is the third MVP honor of Brady's career. He also earned MVP honors following the 2007 and 2010 seasons. Brady joins Peyton Manning (5), Brett Favre (3) and Johnny Unitas (3) as the only NFL players with at least three MVP Awards and at age 40, becomes the oldest player in NFL history to be named league MVP.
It also marks the fifth time in team history that a Patriots player has earned league MVP honors. Two former Boston Patriots AFL greats earned league MVP honors in the 1960s. Gino Cappelletti was the first to claim the honor in 1964. In 1966, Patriots running back Jim Nance rushed for a franchise record 1,458 yards to earn league MVP honors, a team record that lasted for 29 seasons.
Brady finished the season with an NFL-leading 4,577 passing yards and finished third with 32 touchdown passes. Brady also became the oldest player to lead the league in passing yards. The previous oldest player to lead the league in passing yards was Fran Tarkenton with 3,468 yards in 1978 at age 38 for Minnesota. Brady led the Patriots to a 13-3 record. His 13 wins are the most ever by a 40-year old in the Super Bowl era. Brett Favre turned 40 on Oct. 10, 2009, and led Minnesota to eight wins in their 12-win season. Brady's 32 touchdown passes were also the most for a player at age 40, passing Favre (25 in 2009) and Warren Moon (25 with Seattle in 1997).
Brady led the Patriots to the AFC East Division title for the 15th time in 2017 to extend an NFL record for most division titles.
On Sunday, Brady will extend his record by starting in his eighth Super Bowl and will attempt to move out of a tie with Charles Haley (5) as the only player in NFL history to win six Super Bowls.
