A Brief History of the Arizona Cardinals vs. Tom Brady

NFL QB Tom Brady has retired (again), as he finished his career by facing the Arizona Cardinals three times. Here's a brief history of each matchup as Brady rides off into the sunset.

NFL quarterback Tom Brady is calling it quits, perhaps for good this time.

Last year didn't see Brady stay retired for very long, but things may seem different after a tough season for who many consider to be the greatest of all time at his position. 

"I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning I figured I just press record and let you guys know first," said Brady in his retirement video. "I won't be long-winded. You only get one super-emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year."

Brady finished his career by starting a total of 381 games, only three of which came against the Arizona Cardinals:

9/19/2004: Patriots 23, Cardinals 12

Brady, then 27-years-old, led the Patriots to a 23-12 win over the Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium by completing 15-of-26 attempts for 219 yards with two passing touchdowns and two interceptions. New England RB Corey Dillon shouldered the load by rushing for 158 yards with Cardinals RB Emmitt Smith finding the end zone for Arizona. 

The Patriots would go on to win the Super Bowl that year, their third in four seasons. 

9/16/2012: Cardinals 20, Patriots 18

Leveling the series 1-1, Cardinals QB Kevin Kolb led the way with a whopping 140 passing yards and two total touchdowns (one passing and one rushing). Brady himself went 28-for-46 for 316 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He was sacked four times in the loss. 

The Patriots (with rookie Chandler Jones) lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship. 

12/25/2022: Buccaneers 19, Cardinals 16

Most recently, the Cardinals had the opportunity to be the only team to have a winning record against Brady but ultimately fumbled that opportunity away. 

The only touchdowns came from running backs James Conner and Rachaad White as a total of seven field goals were kicked in what was an eventual overtime win for Tampa Bay on Christmas. 

Brady went 32-for-48 passing with 281 yards, one passing touchdown and two interceptions on the night - both with Marco Wilson on the receiving end. 

The Buccaneers ultimately lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, the last game of Brady's career. 

The only team Brady played less than Arizona was New England, as Brady won his only matchup against the Patriots shortly after joining Tampa Bay. 

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