There was something pretty amazing that happened in the NBA in 2009. That was when former NBA commissioner David Stern announced that from that moment on, the NBA Finals MVP Award would be officially renamed the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award.
There was something awesome and nostalgic about seeing Russell, year after year, showing up to the NBA Finals to hand out the award named in his honor before he died in July 2022 at 88 years old.
The NBA later followed that up by re-naming the NBA All-Star Game MVP Award the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP Award in 2020 following Bryant’s death in a helicopter crash in January 2020.
The NFL should take note. Former New England Patriots head coach and current University of North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick recently suggested re-naming the Vince Lombardi Trophy to the Tom Brady Trophy on the “Let’s Go” podcast with Jim Gray— the iconic trophy given to the Super Bowl champion every year.
“Maybe they should name it the Brady Trophy,” Belichick said. “He won seven of them.”
In reality, there’s actually a more fitting honor for the 7-time Super Bowl champion that is staring the NFL right in the face.
The NFL should name its previously nameless Super Bowl MVP Award the Tom Brady Super Bowl MVP Award. And they should do it quickly.
It would be a classy and thoughtful way to honor Brady, the only 5-time Super Bowl MVP in NFL history, and create a connection to the NFL’s past that fans can be reminded of every year — can you imagine an 80-year-old Tom Brady walking across the stage to hand the award named in his honor?
Brady Cemented GOAT Status in Tampa Bay
Brady erased all doubt as to who the greatest football player of all time was in his short time in Tampa Bay, where he led the Buccaneers to their second Super Bowl title in franchise history in his first year there following the 2020 season, when he also became the oldest Super MVP (43 years old) and the only player in NFL history to be named Super Bowl MVP for 2 different teams.
While Brady won 7 Super Bowls, it’s incredible to think he also played in 10 Super Bowls — and all 3 of those losses came down to the final minute of the game.
Brady wound up playing 23 seasons in the NFL, with his first 20 seasons and 6 Super Bowl titles with the Patriots and his final 3 seasons with the Buccaneers.
Brady, who was also a 3-time NFL MVP, will have a unique connection to this year’s Super Bowl on February 9 between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans.
Brady Growing Into Role as FOX Commentator
Following his second retirement in the spring of 2022, FOX Sports announced it had signed Brady to a 10-year, $375 million contract, which made him the highest-paid sports commentator of all time.
Brady took a year off before joining the NFL on Fox broadcasting team doing color commentary for NFL games in 2024 alongside Kevin Burkhardt. Brady, who also owns a stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, will be the color commentator for Super Bowl LIX in his first season.
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