If you hate the New England Patriots, you're not alone. They're the New York Yankees of the NFL. They win, and win, and win some more. Just when you thought they were down and out -- with Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski long gone -- they're back in the Super Bowl. If you really hate the Patriots, maybe you won't even watch the Super Bowl (unless you sneak a peek at the score to see they're losing).
Patriots Super Bowl Dominance
But if you're a serious collector of NFL football autographs, cards, jerseys and memorabilia, you'd be dumb to exclude them from your collection. Even if the Patriots lose Super Bowl LX to the Seahawks, the team's place at the top of modern NFL history is secure. The Patriots already have twice as many Super Bowl appearances (12) as any other franchise and are currently tied with the Steelers for most Super Bowl wins (6), with a win on Sunday the potential tiebreaker. A win also would deliver to team owner Robert (Bob) Kraft his 7th Super Bowl ring, surpassing Brady and Belichick's 6 with the Patriots, although Vladimir Putin famously made away with Kraft's Super Bowl 39 ring.
Let's face it, most of the NFL's biggest moments since Tom Brady took over as the starting quarterback in 2001 involve the Patriots, both winning, and even occasionally losing. The was the Tuck Rule game in the 2001 playoffs, Brady's Super Bowl 36 game winning drive, the 2007 perfect season spoiled by David Tyree's catch, Malcolm Butler's interception sealing their Super Bowl 49 comeback win, the Super Bowl 51 all-time comeback, etc. Will the Patriots make history again in Super Bowl 60? We shall see.
Patriots Hall of Famers: Current and Future Legends
Now let's look at the Patriots players and coaches who helped deliver those wins. Ty Law was the first modern Patriots great to make it to Canton back in 2019, followed by Richard Seymour in 2022. Next year, the Pro Football Hall of Fame is likely to induct both Belichick (inexplicably snubbed this year) and Gronkowski, with Brady a lock for 2028.
Other likely but not absolute lock Hall of Famers from the Patriots dynasty years include Julian Edelman, Vince Wilfork, Mike Vrabel (already making his mark as the team's head coach this season), Adam Vinatieri, Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi and Devin McCourty.
Back to the baseball analogy -- if you hate the Yankees but are an MLB collector, you're not going to exclude legends like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Joe Torre from your autograph, card or memorabilia collection.
How to Authenticate Tom Brady Autographs
Q: What should I look for when buying Tom Brady autographs?
A: Not surprisingly, Tom Brady is the most faked autograph among modern NFL players. A relatively simple signature plus massive demand is a combination forgers can't resist. Brady has been an exclusive signer with Fanatics since October 2020, but despite being a tough in person autograph to obtain, obviously signed thousands of autographs before his Fanatics deal and many more for free for very lucky fans.
Here's the bottom line: obviously avoid anything without a Fanatics numbered hologram or authentication sticker from BAS, JSA or PSA/DNA. But even if they have a sticker, verify the number and certificate of authenticity online, and request provenance. Whoever is offering it to you should be able to show you where they got it. The Mister Mancave scandal produced an unknown but significant number of fake "authenticated" Tom Brady autographs. Obviously, If the price is too good to be true, stay away.
Buying Authentic Tom Brady Patriots Jerseys
Q: What about buying authentic Tom Brady Patriots jerseys?
A: Unfortunately, most Tom Brady Patriots jerseys sold online are 1) bootleg, 2) unlicensed "custom" or 3) authentic but replica. At AutographsForSale.com we avoid selling 1) and 2) for obvious reasons and disclose when jerseys are replica, not authentic. For more on this terminology and the differences, read here. We have in stock 2 different Tom Brady authentic game model jerseys from different eras: 2017 2018 Nike Elite navy blue and 2009 Reebok red third.
Affordable Patriots Dynasty Players to Collect
Q: Which under the radar Patriots dynasty players should I consider for affordable cards and memorabilia?
A: Not everyone can afford a Tom Brady authentic autograph nowadays, but many key players from the Patriots dynasty have relatively affordable -- even undervalued -- cards, autographs and memorabilia. Defensive stars Tedy Bruschi, Devin McCourty, Vince Wilfork and Rodney Harrison top the list, with clutch receiver Julian Edelman another player to consider. To see our entire inventory of Patriots autographs, cards, collectibles, jerseys and memorabilia, click here.
