brady-belichicj.jpg
Imagn Images

The last quarter-century in NFL history will largely be remembered for the dominance the New England Patriots inflicted on the league. For most of the previous 25 years, the Patriots were the major powerbroker, appearing in nine Super Bowls since 2001 and hoisting the Lombardi Trophy six times. On top of that, the club won sixteen division titles and was perennially in the AFC Championship, reaching the NFL's final four 13 times. 

The Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era that presided over Foxborough for roughly two decades felt, at times, like an unstoppable force. Winning felt inevitable. While recent seasons have brought more sobering results to 1 Patriot Place, when you look back at the last 25 seasons as a whole, you'll be hard-pressed to find any team that can match what New England produced. 

As we hit the 25-year mark for this century, we're going to comb through the Patriots' history books and put together New England's All-Quarter Century Team. Of course, this will look a lot like the team's official All-Dynasty Team, but there are some additional names on this list as we compiled a full 53-man roster. 

Quarterback (2)

Let's kick things off with the greatest quarterback of all time. Brady was the driver of New England's dynastic run ever since he stepped in under duress during the 2001 season for the injured Drew Bledsoe. No quarterback in league history has enjoyed more success than Brady, who retired as the winningest player in NFL history and has thrown for more completions, touchdowns and yards than any other signal-caller. His No. 12 was recently retired by the organization and, alongside Belichick, is the pillar of the Patriots dynasty. 

While Brady is the greatest player to ever put on a Patriots uniform, Bledsoe is also a key contributor worth highlighting. Bledsoe may be known by some as the guy before the guy, but he proved to be an instrumental piece en route to New England's first Super Bowl title. When Brady went down in the AFC Championship during the 2001 campaign, Bledsoe came in and helped lead the Patriots to a win to advance to Super Bowl XXXVI, which they'd go on to win with Brady back under center. Had Bledsoe, a former No. 1 overall pick of the organization, not been waiting in the wings at that moment, it's possible New England doesn't overcome Brady's injury in that contest. That alone makes his placement on this All-Quarter Century Team warranted, despite his tenure over that time frame being short. 

Running back (5)

The Patriots offense was at its best when the club not only had a powerful back to barrel into the end zone, but also one who was an outlet in the passing game. In regard to that latter point, no two players personified the receiving back role better throughout the last 25 yards in Foxborough than Kevin Faulk and James White. 

Each won multiple Super Bowls with the franchise and was the key outlet for Brady out of the backfield. Faulk, who played with the Patriots from 1999-2011, is 13th on the team's all-time receiving yards list and leads the position group for the all-time team record. He's also No. 5 on the team's all-time rushing yards list. Right behind him on the receiving list at No. 14 is White, who played with the Patriots from 2014 to 2021. White is maybe best known for his heroics during New England's 25-point comeback in Super Bowl LI. 

As for the more physical runners in the Patriots backfield, Corey Dillon and LeGarrette Blount were two backs who were key pieces to championship runs. Dillon arrived in Foxborough after the team completed a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals before the 2004 season. He'd go on to play three seasons with the franchise while helping them to a victory in Super Bowl XXXIX, and is eighth on the Patriots' all-time rushing yards list. As for Blount, he's 11th on the team's all-time rushing yards list and was a part of three Super Bowl-winning teams during his tenure. 

getty-rob-gronkowski-tom-brady-patriots.jpg
Getty Images

Tight end (2)

While Brady will be atop the masthead of anything Patriots-related, Rob Gronkowski is widely considered the greatest of all time at his position as well. After being selected in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, Gronkowski blossomed into an all-time talent, proving to be a matchup nightmare as a receiver and a dominant force as a blocker. That combination gives him the reputation as the most well-rounded tight end in league history. Even as injuries took their toll on him throughout his career, Gronkowski is the Patriots' all-time receiving touchdown leader (79), and his 7,861 yards receiving are second in team history only behind Stanley Morgan. Gronkowski won three Super Bowls during his tenure and earned four first-team All-Pro nominations. 

Ben Watson, who played seven seasons with the Patriots, sort of falls through the cracks when we talk about key figures throughout New England's dynasty. As a rookie, he was a part of the Super Bowl XXXIX team, but wasn't a key contributor. However, he proved to be a solid option for Brady in the years to follow. His 2,275 yards receiving are the fifth-most among tight ends in franchise history.  

Wide receiver (6)

No player in Patriots history has recorded more receptions than Wes Welker, who totaled 672 catches during his six-season run with the franchise. Three times over that span, Welker led the league and was Brady's go-to target during the late 2000s and early 2010s. While Welker was prolific during his tenure, he is one of the few players on this All-Quarter Century Team who doesn't have a Super Bowl title on his résumé. Randy Moss joins him as the rare Patriot who wasn't able to hoist a Lombardi Trophy. That said, Welker and Moss were a lethal duo during the infamous 2007 season, when the offense shattered records en route to a 16-0 regular season. 

As for the other receivers in this group, they all won titles. Troy Brown was the top option for Brady in the early run of Super Bowls, winning three during his time with the team. He's also fifth on the all-time receiving yards list and third in receptions. He's only looking up to Welker and Julian Edelman in the catch department. Edelman, maybe the most recognizable figure during the latter half of the dynasty outside of Brady, won three Super Bowls with the Patriots and is second in team history in catches and fourth in receiving yards. The postseason was where Edelman made himself into a Patriots legend and was named MVP after Super Bowl LIII. Deion Branch is another former Super Bowl MVP for his stellar performance in Super Bowl XXXIX. Meanwhile, Danny Amendola was another key cog in the passing attack, winning two Super Bowls with New England. 

mossbrady.png
Imagn Images

Offensive line (9)

New England has enjoyed the good fortune of having some stellar offensive linemen during the past quarter-century. In the first half of the dynasty, figures like Matt Light, Dan Koppen, Steve Neal and Joe Andruzzi lined up to protect Brady. Each of those linemen won multiple Super Bowls with the organization. 

Then, Logan Mankins proved to be a bridge piece along the line during the decade (2005-2013) when the Patriots went without winning a title. Despite not climbing the NFL's mountaintop, Mankins was one of the best players of his era, being named to seven Pro Bowls and six All-Pro teams. 

After Mankins, the likes of Nate Solder, David Andrews, Sebastian Vollmer and Joe Thuney all were part of the second wave of the Patriots dynasty, at least winning two Super Bowls while playing on the line. 

Patriots to unveil statue of Tom Brady ahead of preseason game vs. the Commanders
Bryan DeArdo
Patriots to unveil statue of Tom Brady ahead of preseason game vs. the Commanders

Defensive line (9)

While Brady and Belichick are the faces of the dynasty, the early days of dominance in Foxborough were in large part thanks to a nasty defense that carried over from the Bill Parcells era. Willie McGinest was the face of the Patriots defense through the first wave of Super Bowl victories. The Patriots Hall of Famer worked as a linebacker and pass rusher during his tenure and has the most career postseason sacks with 16. While he arrived in 1994, he played for the organization through the 2005 season and won three titles, playing alongside the likes of Richard Seymour and Ty Warren. 

Seymour was a first-round pick of the Patriots at the very start of the dynasty in 2001 and put together a Hall of Fame career, winning three Super Bowls and earning three first-team All-Pro honors during his tenure in New England. Ty Warren played seven seasons with the franchise and was a part of two Super Bowl championship teams as well. 

Those were the notable figures in the first leg of the dynasty. Meanwhile, Vince Wilfork -- similar to Mankins above -- was the bridge piece to the second run of championships. Unlike Mankins, however, Wilfork -- arguably the most dominant nose tackle of his era -- won two Super Bowls, the first coming in 2004 and the second coming during his final season with the organization in 2014. He then passed the baton off to defensive linemen like Rob Ninkovich, Chandler Jones, Trey Flowers and Lawrence Guy, each of whom won a championship with the Patriots. 

usatsi9862167.jpg
Imagn Images

Linebacker (7)

The linebacker position is another area where the Patriots were flush with highly productive players who assumed key roles during championship runs. Tedy Bruschi, Ted Johnson, and Roman Phifer were the stars at linebacker during the first three Super Bowl titles in the early 2000s. Alongside McGinest, Bruschi was one of the more featured figures during the early days of the dynasty and a carryover from the Parcells era. 

Meanwhile, Mike Vrabel -- who has since been hired as the team's current coach -- arrived in Foxborough as a player in 2001 and was one of the better finds by Belichick. Vrabel was a central figure to those initial Super Bowl teams and proved to be a versatile piece. Not only was Vrabel a stellar linebacker, but he also had spot appearances on offense and registered 10 receiving touchdowns on 10 catches during his tenure with the franchise, which included touchdowns in Super Bowl XXXVIII and Super Bowl XXXIX.

Speaking of former Patriots coaches, while Jerod Mayo's tenure leading the organization lasted just one season, he was a tremendous linebacker during his playing days. He was a fixture in the middle of New England's defense ever since he was drafted No. 10 overall in 2008 and played his entire career for the franchise before his official retirement in 2015. 

After Mayo, the likes of Dont'a Hightower and Kyle Van Noy headlined the later run of Super Bowl titles in the 2010s. Hightower, a former first-round pick, was instrumental in multiple Super Bowl victories. While he's most known for strip-sacking Matt Ryan during Super Bowl LI to help spark the comeback, he also is arguably the most underrated player in team history. In the closing minute of Super Bowl XLIX, Hightower stopped Marshawn Lynch at the 1-yard line, which set up Malcolm Butler's famous interception to clinch that championship. 

Meanwhile, Van Noy arrived in 2016 in a midseason trade with the Detroit Lions, and New England developed him into a key contributor to the final two Super Bowls of the Brady-Belichick era. That includes Super Bowl LIII, where Van Voy had three quarterback hits, a sack and four tackles in the 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams. 

Safety (3)

Rodney Harrison arrived in New England in March 2003 after he was released by the San Diego Chargers, and he proved to be one of the faces of New England's secondary. Harrison was a tone-setting piece to two Super Bowl teams, going back to back in 2003 and 2004. He stayed with the franchise through the 2008 campaign and was a member of the undefeated regular-season team in 2007 that came up just short of a perfect 19-0 record. While Harrison being a part of the infamous David Tyree helmet catch that led to New England's loss in Super Bowl XLII isn't the most pleasant image in team history, he was a dominant figure during his tenure. Belichick has called him one of the greatest players he's ever coached and has campaigned for him to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

More recently, the safety duo of Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung helped spearhead the final three Super Bowls of the era. McCourty was one of the better safeties of his era and was named an All-Pro three times during his career after being drafted in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Chung first arrived with the Patriots in 2009 as a second-round pick, but was more productive during his second stint with the team. After leaving for the Eagles in 2013, Chung re-signed with the Patriots in 2014 and worked as the team's starting strong safety for three Super Bowl wins. 

malcolm-butler-super-bowl-patriots.jpg
Imagn Images

Cornerback (4)

The Patriots drafted Ty Law in the first round of the 1995 NFL Draft, and he turned into a Hall of Fame corner for the organization. He was instrumental in the first three Super Bowls and had a pick six against Kurt Warner in Super Bowl XXXVI. Law tormented opposing quarterbacks during his days with the Patriots, particularly former Colts signal-caller Peyton Manning. Law intercepted Manning three times during the AFC Championship in the 2003 season, which ultimately resulted in the NFL actually changing the rules because he was so physically dominant. 

Asante Samuel won two Super Bowls with the Patriots during his five seasons with the team and was a first-team All-Pro during the 2007 campaign. With New England, the former fourth-round corner also led the NFL in interceptions in 2006. 

In the second half of the dynasty, Malcolm Butler and Stephon Gilmore were the two stars at cornerback. Butler, of course, had one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history, picking off Russell Wilson at the goal line to help the Patriots win Super Bowl XLIX. Butler also was with the Super Bowl LI team and was a second-team All-Pro in 2016, so his contributions go well beyond that historically clutch play as well. 

Meanwhile, Stephon Gilmore may be the second-most dominant corner of the last 25 years after Law. He signed with New England in 2017 and was a key piece to the Super Bowl LIII-winning squad. While the play gets somewhat lost in history because the Patriots ended up losing Super Bowl LII, Gilmore's signature moment with the organization is arguably his pass breakup in the 2017 AFC Championship to clinch the conference title. Gilmore also won NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. 

Special teams (6)

New England's special teams unit features two kickers. While that's unorthodox for this type of team, it's warranted in this case as the Patriots had two massively productive kickers over the last 25 yards. First was Adam Vinatieri, who is looked at as the most clutch kicker of all time. He has some of the greatest kicks not only in franchise history, but in the NFL as a whole. Vinatieri booted a game-tying 45-yard field goal during a blizzard in the AFC divisional round against the Oakland Raiders and the game-winner in overtime. That postseason, Vinatieri also hit the game-winning field goal to give the franchise its first Super Bowl title. Two years later, Vinatieri had another Super Bowl-winning field goal, netting the go-ahead kick against the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII. 

Once Vinatieri left after the 2005 season, New England landed on its feet with relative ease by selecting Stephen Gostkowski in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Gostkowski didn't have the same level of clutch kicks as Vinatieri, but was part of three Super Bowl-winning teams and was a four-time Pro Bowler. 

bill-belichick.jpg

Head coach

  • Bill Belichick

Belichick is considered to be one of, if not the greatest head coach in NFL history. Alongside Brady, he was the mastermind behind the Patriots dynasty during that two-decade run of six Super Bowl titles. Routinely, his genius as an in-game manager was on display and, as the general manager of the organization, he was able to find diamonds in the rough and coach them up to become key pieces to championship rosters. Over his career with the Patriots, Belichick was named Coach of the Year three times (2003, 2007 and 2010) and won 266 regular-season games along with 30 playoff games.