Can Tom Brady be a top 5 QB in 2021?

Tom Brady will be entering his 22nd NFL season in 2021. He's won seven Super Bowl rings, three MVP awards, and has been the NFL's passing yards leader on three occasions. Despite all his success, Brady hasn't consistently been one of the top five quarterbacks in the league statistically. But what does it mean to even be a top-five QB?

There's a simple formula that gives a general idea based on stats: league ranking in passing yards, passing TDs, completion percentage, INT rate, and QB rating. QBs are then rated by dividing the sum of their ranks in these categories by 5.

Can Tom Brady Be One of the Best QBs at 43?

Based on the formula, the last time Tom Brady was a top-five QB was in 2017. This was also the last time he won a league MVP award and his last loss in the Super Bowl ironically.

In his 21 seasons, Tom Brady has been in the top-five a total of five times. He was in the top-10 fourteen times, top-12 seventeen times, and outside the top-20 just once (2013). Brady is arguably the best QB in NFL history but wasn't consistently a top-five talent at his position. It doesn't mean much though.

In his first year with Tampa Bay, Tom Brady was statistically only the seventh-best QB in the league, yet he won the Super Bowl. More importantly, he posted one of his best seasons statistically since 2007 at age 43 on an entirely new team, offense, and scheme. You can argue that he was the second-best QB behind his Super Bowl opponent Patrick Mahomes.

Would You Rather....Have Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes lead a game-winning drive? pic.twitter.com/wjveftXjMG

— GMFB (@gmfb) June 18, 2021

Tom Brady is the only 40+-year-old QB to improve his game this late in his career and win a Super Bowl in the process. Looking ahead to the 2021 season, there's a simple answer to the question of whether Tom Brady will be a top-five QB:

Yes.

First off, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the fourth-easiest schedule this year. Their own division has lost a bit of an edge with Drew Brees retiring and Julio Jones leaving Atlanta. There really is only one game where they will likely not be the favorites to win, which will be against the Buffalo Bills.

All 22 starters from 2020 on offense and defense are returning. If there was ever a time for Tom Brady to get redemption for the 18-1 season, it's 2021.

Tom Brady's playing style has ensured he can keep extending his career and there's no need to fix what isn't broken.

Tampa Bay #Buccaneers QB Tom Brady going deep#Bucs #Tampa #NFL #NFLTwitter @TomBrady @Buccaneers pic.twitter.com/Mhg1Wbubq3

— Gabriel Schray (@schrayguy) October 4, 2020

He was the 24th-most sacked QB in 2020 and is more of a pure pocket passer, so his body isn't taking as bad a beating as most others. His vision, pocket presence and field awareness are elite and he gets the ball out quickly when in trouble. There is no obstacle in his way to be a top-five QB in 2021.