Look: Tom Brady’s 25 Sports Illustrated Covers

Brady graced the cover of Sports Illustrated 25 times over the course of his unrivaled career.

April 15, 2002 :: Brian Lanker/Sports Illustrated

February 9, 2004 :: John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated

September 6, 2004 :: Bob Rosato/Sports Illustrated

October 18, 2004 :: Damian Strohmeyer/Sports Illustrated

February 7, 2005 :: Bob Rosato/Sports Illustrated

November 7, 2005 :: Bob Rosato/Sports Illustrated & Peter Read Miller/Sports Illustrated

December 12, 2005 :: Lynn Johnson/Sports Illustrated

October 22, 2007 :: John Biever/Sports Illustrated

February 4, 2008 :: Bob Rosato/Sports Illustrated & John Iacono/Sports Illustrated

September 1, 2008 :: Bob Rosato/Sports Illustrated

June 1, 2009 :: Peter Read Miller/Sports Illustrated

September 20, 2010 :: Damian Strohmeyer/Sports Illustrated

January 24, 2011 :: David Bergman/Sports Illustrated

January 9, 2012 :: Damian Strohmeyer/Sports Illustrated

January 30, 2012 :: Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated

February 9, 2015 :: Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated

September 14, 2015 :: William J. Hennessy Jr./CourtroomArt.com

January 25, 2016 :: John Mersits/CSM & Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

February 1, 2016 :: Donald Miralle/Sports Illustrated

January 23, 2017 :: Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

January 30, 2017 :: Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated & Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

September 4, 2017

January 29, 2018 :: Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

February 11, 2019 :: Rob Tringali/Sports Illustrated

December 2021 :: Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated

22 years, 25 covers, one Tom Brady.

After some back-and-forth speculation and some mixed messaging, the seven-time Super Bowl champion officially announced his retirement on Tuesday, bringing an end to one of the most accomplished and remarkable careers in the history of sports. Brady won't go out on top with another title, but he exits the NFL after a season in which he led the league in passing yards and touchdowns at age 44.

From his first Super Bowl championship through Tuesday’s announcement, Brady has graced the cover of Sports Illustrated 25 times. Viewed in succession, the covers tell a visual story of Brady's singular run of excellence that may never be matched again.

In three separate calendar years, Brady appeared on the cover three times: 2004, '05 and '17. He's shared the cover with Peyton Manning twice, appeared shirtless once and was also featured in the style of a courtroom sketch. Brady was 24 when he first appeared on the cover (April 15, 2002), and he most recently appeared in the December 2021 issue as the most recent winner of SI's Sportsperson of the Year Award.

Given the long shadow Brady casts upon the sport and the unmatched heights his career has soared, we likely haven't seen the last of him on the magazine's front page. Until next time, enjoy the photos capturing nearly a quarter-century's worth of iconic moments.

** SICovers.com: Shop SI's Tom Brady covers
** Get SI's Tom Brady Retirement Commemorative