When you think of Tom Brady on a football field, you think of poise. You think of his fiery competitive nature. You think of his pocket presence and impeccable accuracy. What does not come to mind, though, is athleticism (in the typical sense).
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Brady recorded only one carry of 20-plus yards in his NFL career (it came on Oct. 1, 2006, against the Cincinnati Bengals). He added three receptions, two of which went for 20-plus yards. Those plays function merely as blips on a radar full of prolific passing performances. Brady knows this. In the latest post on his personal website, he said, “I was never the greatest athlete in terms of speed or straight line quickness.”
Despite this, Brady found unparalleled success in the NFL. Foot speed was never critical to his game, but his constant desire for greatness led him to embark on a quest for improvement there. And in the end, he got quicker and more elusive, just not in the same way as other quarterbacks.
“Lacking in [speed and straight line quickness] forced me to work harder in all aspects of the game. I remember in high school, we did these plyometric footwork drills, called dot drills, designed to increase agility and quickness… they helped redefine what speed and quickness meant for me. They showed me that there’s more than one way to be elusive. We can’t all be Mike Vick or Patrick Mahomes. With great, nimble footwork, you can also be elusive in a confined space.” – Tom Brady
When Brady entered the NFL, his style of play was common amongst quarterbacks. These days, agility and foot speed are a bigger necessity. That said, not every signal-caller needs Lamar Jackson’s speed and shiftiness to succeed. Joe Burrow and Jared Goff demonstrate as much.
Joe Burrow led the Bengals downfield for a touchdown with their backup skill players. Perfect throw, great route and catch by Charlie Jones. pic.twitter.com/Z5lG9kkZEA
— James Rapien (@JamesRapien) August 19, 2025
Yes, Jackson’s athleticism and quickness are more helpful than not. But there’s still a place in the league for supposed “pure pocket passers.” For rookies like Tyler Shough, Brady’s evolution is a template for effectiveness at the professional level. If Shough can follow in his footsteps, he’ll have a chance to win the New Orleans Saints’ starting job. So he had better get started on those dot drills; Brady’s counting on it.
