Why a win on Sunday would be the biggest victory of Tom Brady's career

This is the online version of our morning newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning. 

Tom Brady has done a ton of special things during his legendary NFL career. He’s had a 16-0 regular season. He’s won nine conference championship games. And, of course, he has six Super Bowl rings that were earned in some of the best Super Bowls we’ve ever seen.

So with all of that said it would seem like he doesn’t have much left to prove before Mr. Pliability hangs ’em up sometime within the next 20 years.

Here’s the thing, though – while all those wins are incredible and have made him the GOAT, a victory this Sunday at Lambeau Field would be the biggest of his career.

I know what you’re thinking – those six Super Bowl wins were pretty big wins, you dummy! And they totally were! As a Patriots fan I watched them all and was in awe of what he could do when the moments were the biggest they could be.

But a win on Sunday would be absolutely stunning and would make what he did this year all the more unbelievable when we look back at his career whenever he does decided to hang them up.

At 43 years of age Brady pretty much got dumped by the Patriots after last season and jumped over to a franchise that lately hasn’t been exactly known for winning. With no regular preseason – or offseason, really – because of the pandemic, the old fella had to pick things up on the fly and lead a group of new teammates and a new franchise through a season unlike any other.

Plus, Brady did all of this under biggest of microscopes, with just about everyone chomping at the bit to call him washed for good or yell about how he was nothing without Belichick or that he should have hung it up after his final not-so-great year with the Patriots.

Yet here he is, one of four QBs still standing with a shot at the Super Bowl staring him right in the face.

At 43 years old!

Brady’s path to a possible 10th Super Bowl now takes him to Lambeau Field where he’ll face Aaron Rodgers, the likely NFL MVP this year, and the No. 1-seed Packers.

How darn fitting is that?

We’ve all wanted a Rodgers-Brady playoff showdown for years and now we get it. The Packers are the favorites to win this, which is something new for Brady in a conference championship game. Usually he’s supposed to win these things. This year he’s not.

A win over Rodgers and the Packers at Lambeau in late January with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line?

Come on!

If Brady walks off the field Sunday with a NFC championship trophy under his arm he will do so knowing that this victory, with everything he’s been through and with how many days he’s been on this planet, was the best of his career.

Then a few weeks later he’d have a chance to get an even bigger one.

Quick hits: Browns LB responds to Mahomes’ mom… Ranking the possible Super Bowl matchups… Kyrie’s return… And more.

Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

– Patrick Mahomes’ mom called Cleveland’s Mack Wilson ‘evil’ after his clean play on the Chiefs QB knocked him out of the game last Sunday. On Tuesday, the LB had a good response.

– Steven Ruiz ranks the four possible Super Bowl matchups that we could see in a few weeks.

– Mike Sykes looks at Kyrie Irving and explains why the Nets guard should be celebrated for taking a needed break.

– Speaking of Brady, he shared a hilarious video of himself getting rejected by the ref last week.