New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady already owns an unrivaled collection of NFL records, and he’s closing in on another in his 18th season in the league. Currently, Tom Brady has thrown touchdowns to 68 separate players over his career, a phenomenal feat considering he’s spent his entire career with one franchise. Brady is likely to pass Vinny Testaverde’s record of 70 this season, as there are several new faces in Foxboro this season. The question now becomes, who will be Tom Brady’s 71st touchdown recipient?
Possible Candidates to Be Tom Brady’s 71st Touchdown Recipient
1. Sony Michel
The Patriots first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft is the perfect candidate to be the record-setting touchdown recipient. Michel is a fantastic dual-threat running back, and Brady has never shied away from turning to his running backs in the passing game.
Additionally, Michel probably won’t see an expanded role in the offense until later in the season. Thanks to a training camp knee injury, Michel will find himself behind the rest of the teams in terms of regular season readiness. He only just returned to training camp and is probably third or fourth on the running back depth chart at the moment. His natural talent will win out eventually, but he might spend some time on the bench to start the season.
Because of this, Brady will find other players for the 69th and 70th recipients. However, once Michel gets on the field consistently, there’s no doubt that he has the ability to haul in touchdown passes from Brady. Selecting a running back for the honors may seem odd, but the stars are aligning for this to work out.
2. Phillip Dorsett
Thanks to some serious uncertainty at the wide receiver position, Phillip Dorsett could be in line for a major role early in the season. Dorsett is in his second year with the Patriots and is one of the more experienced members of the receiving squad. He’s shown potential in the preseason, hauling in four passes for 36 yards against the Carolina Panthers. With Julian Edelman suspended, Dorsett is in line to be the number two receiver in the Patriots offense.
The biggest argument against Dorsett being number 71 is that he might be number 69 or 70. The Patriots don’t have many receivers, and thus Brady will probably turn to Dorsett early and often. If that happens, Dorsett might record his first Patriots touchdown too early in the season.
3. Jacob Hollister
Despite spending the entire 2017 season on the active roster, tight end Jacob Hollister didn’t manage to record a touchdown in his rookie campaign. However, Hollister has added size this off-season and has been one of the most consistent and all-around best players throughout training camp. He’s set to have a breakout year lining up alongside Rob Gronkowski.
Hollister and Brady share a strong chemistry, as evidenced by their several side sessions during training camp. Over the early parts of the 2017 season, Brady was reported to have a better chemistry with Hollister than second-string tight end Dwayne Allen. New England just couldn’t put him on the field, as his presence was a clear tell for a passing play. With natural year-to-year development, Hollister will be a more rounded player and see significantly more playing time. Just from the preseason, Hollister already looks like a better, more rounded player.
Much like Dorsett, the biggest knock against Hollister is that he might catch his touchdown pass too early in the season. With the wide receiver position being something of a mess, the offense will likely run through the tight ends and running backs, at least early in the season. Hollister will probably be the 69th touchdown recipient, and it could come as early as Week One against the Houston Texans.
4. Cordarrelle Patterson
Cordarrelle Patterson is one of the biggest X-Factors on the team, as the first-year Patriot is one of the most explosive athletes in the game. However, his footwork lacks polish, and he’s never been able to put his skill set together at the wide receiver position. Still, Brady has done a lot more with a lot less, and Patterson has made some good plays in the preseason.
Throughout his career, Patterson has never been a big touchdown guy. Since entering the league in 2014, Patterson has just seven touchdown receptions. If you take out his rookie season, that number drops to just three touchdown receptions over four seasons. In spite of this, he’ll likely see some serious time on the field this season. Additionally, nobody is better at scheming players open than Josh McDaniels. If Brady and McDaniels can give Patterson the ball in the open field, he can score on any given play.
5. James Develin
Despite being on the Patriots roster since 2013, James Develin still hasn’t recorded a regular season touchdown pass from Tom Brady. Yes, he hauled in a score in the 2014 AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts, but postseason statistics do not count towards this type of record.
Develin has been the definition of reliability ever since he first arrived in Foxboro. He’s established himself as one of the best fullbacks in the league and is beloved by all his teammates. While he’s certainly not a receiving threat by any means, he’s always good for five or so catches a season. It would be fitting for one of the most overlooked Patriots to be the 71st man to catch a touchdown pass from Tom Brady.
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