Brady’s 7 rings tied: How the NFL rewrote history
NFL legends Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
Tom Brady‘s trophy case just got a surprising new neighbor, and Bill Belichick‘s coaching crown took a hit-thanks to a wild twist in the NFL’s record book. On April 1, the league dropped a bombshell at its Annual Meeting in Orlando, voting 29-3 to fold All-America Football Conference (AAFC) stats from 1946-49 into the official tally.
That means Brady’s seven Super Bowl rings-a mark that had him standing alone as the player with the most championships-now shares the spotlight with Hall of Famer Otto Graham, who snagged seven titles with the Cleveland Browns in the AAFC and NFL. Meanwhile, Belichick’s six Super Bowl wins got leapfrogged by Browns coach Paul Brown, who’s now credited with seven.
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Brady’s still the king of Super Bowl wins-seven in 10 trips, all post-1970 merger-but Graham’s four AAFC crowns plus three NFL titles tie him up top. “The records were approved by the owners-it’s official,” an NFL rep said at the meeting, stirring X posts like wildfire.
One fan cheered, “Otto’s finally getting his flowers-Brady’s not alone anymore!” Another jabbed, “Tom’s still the modern GOAT, relax.” Graham’s Browns dominated the AAFC, going 47-4-3 and winning every championship before the league folded, stats the NFL had ignored until now.
Belichick’s title reign over? NFL adds AAFC stats to records
Then there’s Belichick-his six rings with Brady had him tied with George Halas and Curly Lambeau for the most by a coach. But Paul Brown’s four AAFC titles, stacked with his three NFL wins, bump him to seven. “Paul Brown’s a legend-seven championships is unreal,” a coach mused post-vote, nodding to Brown’s Browns dynasty that birthed the 49ers and Colts too.
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Social Media fans are split-some crow, “Belichick’s overrated without Brady,” while others argue, “Six in the Super Bowl era trumps all.” Belichick’s 31 playoff wins still shine, but Brown’s new tally’s got folks rethinking the pecking order.
The NFL’s move isn’t just trivia-it’s a nod to the AAFC’s legacy, with 14% of its players crossing into the NFL. “It’s about honoring the game’s full story,” a league insider said, per meeting buzz. Brady’s 541 career TD passes and Belichick’s 333 total wins keep them elite, but this twist adds a retro spin-Graham and Brown are back in the chat, and the record book’s got a whole new flavor.
