It's no argument that Tom Brady will end up in the Hall of Fame. The question is, when will his bust be put in Canton?
The seven-time Super Bowl champion is already colloquially the "GOAT," but that doesn't mean he gets an expedited pass into the Hall of Fame. He must wait his turn just as any other football player.
Following his Tuesday retirement announcement, here's what you need to know about when Brady will be put in the Hall of Fame.
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When is Tom Brady eligible for the Hall of Fame?
Tom Brady will first be eligible for the Class of 2027 Hall of Fame inductions.
With the news of @TomBrady 's retirement today, he would first be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2027. @Patriots | @Buccaneers pic.twitter.com/Rh44Dy0ZfI
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) February 1, 2022
According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's website, football players are not deemed eligible until they've been inactive for five consecutive seasons. So, since Brady announced his retirement in 2022, he must wait five years.
MORE: Why did Tom Brady retire?
Tom Brady stats
Tom Brady's career stats stand apart from any player — QB or otherwise — in NFL history. He has more Super Bowl rings (seven) than any of the 32 other franchises in their history. He made 10 Super Bowl appearances, and finished with five Super Bowl MVP titles.
He was NFL MVP three times, selected to the Pro Bowl 15 times and made six All-Pro rosters.
He also holds a handful of all-time NFL records with 624 career passing touchdowns, 85,520 career passing yards and 243 career wins among them.
Here's a few other stats for Brady as he retires after 22 seasons.
| Games | 318 |
| All-time record | 243-73* |
| Completion % | 64.2 |
| Passing yards | 85,520 |
| Touchdowns | 624 |
| Interceptions | 203 |
| Yards per attempt | 7.5 |
| Yards per game | 265.8 |
| Quarterback rating | 97.6 |
| Sacks | 543 |
| Fourth-quarter comebacks | 42 |
| Game-winning drives | 53 |
*Two of the games he didn't start, so they didn't go on his record.
How are Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees chosen?
There are 49 members of the selection committee who go through four different polls before the inductees are chosen each year. In order for the player to be inducted, they must receive at least 80 percent of the vote from the committee.
Based on Brady's successes in his 22 NFL seasons, it is expected that Brady will make the Hall of Fame in 2027 when his name first appears on the ballot.