Tom Brady replaced quarterback Drew Bledsoe as the New England Patriots’ starter in 2001.

Quick Scoop

  • The specific player Tom Brady replaced was Drew Bledsoe, the Patriots’ long-time franchise quarterback.
  • The change happened on September 23, 2001, after Bledsoe suffered a serious chest injury (including a collapsed lung) on a hit by Jets linebacker Mo Lewis.
  • Brady came in as the backup, took over the starting job, and never gave it back, launching the Patriots dynasty and his own GOAT-level legacy.

In forum and trivia contexts, whenever you see “who did Tom Brady replace,” the intended answer is almost always: Drew Bledsoe.

TL;DR: Tom Brady replaced Drew Bledsoe as the New England Patriots’ starting quarterback in 2001, a move that changed NFL history.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.