To the common NFL fan, especially one on the younger side, Drew Bledsoe merely was the quarterback who preceded Tom Brady in New England.
That doesn’t really sit right with the 14-year NFL veteran.
Bledsoe, who played nine seasons for the Patriots, was a primary subject in the premiere of “Man in the Arena,” Brady’s new documentary series. The 1993 No. 1 overall was very forthcoming in Episode 1, much like he was during a recent appearance on FS1’s “The Herd.”
Asked by Colin Cowherd whether he’s bothered by always being tied to Brady, Bledsoe offered a candid response.
“…I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about that kind of stuff and I love Tom to this day,” Bledsoe said. “The only thing that does kind of bother me sometimes, though, and this is just being totally honest — I feel like my career has kind of been treated like a footnote, you know? Like it’s just a footnote to Tom’s career.”
The four-time Pro Bowl selection then hit Cowherd with a piece of trivia. Bledsoe noted how only Dan Marino, Fran Tarkenton, John Elway, Warren Moon, Brett Favre and Vinny Testaverde had more career passing yards than him when he retired in 2007.
“It’s a pretty good list to be on,” Bledsoe said. “That’s all of them, you know? Obviously wish (I) could have won some more games and so on but, you know, it was a nice career. That’s the only part — if I ever think about it — the only part that bugs me is I’m kind of treated as a footnote to Tom’s career.”
The Patriots certainly do not view Bledsoe as a TB12 footnote. The Super Bowl XXXVI champion was inducted into the franchise’s Hall of Fame in 2011.
