Did Tom Brady need any further validation of his greatness?

An almost infallible case can be made that Brady could have walked away after he captured a sixth Lombardi Trophy with the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII two years ago with his legacy as the greatest of all time secured.

But whether it was down to a desire to outstrip Michael Jordan's six NBA titles, win a Super Bowl without Bill Belichick or simply because of his love of competing and winning, Brady felt the need to keep going further into his 40s in search of a seventh.

That came in emphatic fashion in his first season since leaving Belichick and the Patriots, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers routed the now-deposed champion Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 at Raymond James Stadium.

It was improbable by a number of measures. No team had ever played at a home Super Bowl before this season and the Buccaneers were underdogs to defeat the Chiefs and win it in their own building. If there was to be a blowout, it was anticipated Brady would be on the receiving end.

Yet Brady has never conformed to expectations. Not now, not ever. And the man who entered the NFL as a skinny sixth-round pick in 2000 proved yet again that it is foolish to doubt him.

This latest validation may have been unnecessary, but Brady has it after this new addition to the most comprehensive of Super Bowl resumes. Here, we rank where the Bucs' upset of the Chiefs ranks among Brady's seven wins on the grandest stage.

7. Super Bowl LIII

Brady's last triumph with the Patriots was probably his least impressive, at least in the vacuum of the game itself.

An uninspiring defensive struggle with the Los Angeles Rams unsurprisingly fell in Belichick's favour as he outcoached Sean McVay in a 13-3 win. Brady did, however, connect with Rob Gronkowski for the telling blow, a 29-yard pass that set up Sony Michel for the game's only touchdown. 

Boosting Brady here is the fact he led the Patriots to victory over Mahomes and the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, but that's not enough to move it off the bottom of the list.

6. Super Bowl XXXIX

Sunday was the second Super Bowl in which Brady dealt a defeat to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, but the 39th edition of the Greatest Show on Earth was a much tighter affair as Brady guided the Patriots to back-to-back Lombardi trophies.

But then-Philadelphia Eagles coach Reid perhaps bore as much responsibility for the Patriots' victory as Brady. Reid was significantly criticised in the aftermath of the Eagles' 24-21 loss for a lack of time management, their final scoring drive taking up nearly four minutes and making New England's task in closing out the game much easier.

Reid's shortcomings in that regard do not take away from Brady's performance or the achievement in winning successive Super Bowls, one that has not since been repeated. But, in terms of memorable performances, this is not one that ranks highly.

5. Super Bowl XXXVIII

Brady's second Super Bowl win is one that deserves more recognition than it gets as the Patriots held off an underdog Carolina Panthers team that refused to lie down. 

After the Panthers overturned a 21-10 deficit to lead in the fourth quarter, Brady led an 11-play drive to restore the Patriots' advantage and, after Carolina responded in kind, orchestrated a game-winning field goal in the final 58 seconds of regulation to secure a 32-29 triumph.

It was a perfect encapsulation of Brady's ability to deliver when the moment is the biggest, one which he has demonstrated time and again with all the marbles on the line.

4. Super Bowl LV

His first Super Bowl win outside of New England may have been one of the most unexpected, but it doesn't quite crack the top three.

There is so much Brady deserves credit for. From taking the chance to leave his familiar surroundings and successfully adapting to a new offense to the manner in which he dissected the Chiefs defense in the first half.

But the Buccaneers' victory was a team performance built as much on a swarming defense that continually had Patrick Mahomes running for his life as it was on Brady's prowess leading the offense.

Brady was a deserved winner of the Super Bowl MVP but, without the Bucs' pass rush, this would have been a very different game, one in which the Chiefs' offense may have been able to change the outcome.

3. Super Bowl XXXVI

Brady was not close to being the same quarterback he is now during his first Super Bowl, and that is what makes it still so incredible.

In his second season in the NFL, Brady came in and successfully filled the void after starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe suffered a chest injury in Week 2 of the 2001 season and led them to an 11-5 record, but he was not expected to go blow for blow with the vaunted St. Louis Rams offense.

As it happened, he received significant help from an excellent defensive display by New England, but the defining moment came in the final 90 seconds, with legendary commentator John Madden calling for the Patriots to play for overtime. Belichick had the faith in Brady to go the opposite route.

He promptly delivered a nine-play, 53-yard drive that began the legend, setting up Adam Vinatieri for a 48-yard field goal that clinched a 20-17 win for the Patriots and their first title. For a player of his relative inexperience to deliver in a situation of that magnitude, it remains one of Brady's most remarkable achievements.

2. Super Bowl XLIX

It gets lost with the fact that Brady and the Patriots would have lost this game to the Seattle Seahawks if not for Malcolm Butler's goal-line interception, but his fourth quarter in a 28-24 classic was one of the finest periods produced by any quarterback in the Super Bowl.

The Patriots trailed by 10 points midway through the fourth quarter, but Brady fearlessly and precisely led them on two touchdown drives against one of the best defenses in NFL history to turn the tide in their favour.

Of course, this game will always be remembered for the Seahawks' inexplicable decision to attempt a pass on the one-yard line with victory in their grasp, but the game never gets to that point without what was at the time Brady's greatest comeback effort in the Super Bowl.

1. Super Bowl LI

Regardless of how many more Super Bowls Brady plays in, this one will likely never be topped.

All seemed lost for Brady when the Patriots trailed 28-3 to the Atlanta Falcons in the third quarter but what followed was an accumulation of all the clutch moments he has produced in his unparalleled career.

The Falcons were reduced to near helpless spectators as Brady masterfully instigated the biggest fightback in Super Bowl history.

When the Patriots won the coin toss to start overtime, their 34-28 triumph was inevitable. Everyone knew what was about to happen, with the Falcons as powerless to stop it as the Chiefs were on Sunday.

It was a revival that added immeasurably to Brady's aura, which, even at the age of 43, persists for a man who, whether it's for validation or otherwise, maintains a ceaseless desire to collect Super Bowl rings.

Serena Williams took inspiration from the "unbelievable" Tom Brady as she cruised into the second round of the Australian Open with a "vintage" performance.

Brady made yet more history on Sunday, the most successful player in NFL history winning a seventh Super Bowl as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9.

The incredible Brady, 43, showed age is no barrier, throwing three touchdown passes – two of which were scored by his long-time friend Rob Gronkowski – and completing 21 of 29 throws for 201 yards.

Brady did now allow any interceptions as he picked up the MVP award at Raymond James Stadium.

Williams started her quest for a record-equalling 24th grand slam singles title with a 6-1 6-1 defeat of Laura Siegemund on Monday, then paid tribute to her fellow American Brady.

She said of his exploits: "It's unbelievable. I just was watching as much as I could to see. My only word is it's unbelievable. I kept saying: 'This is unbelievable, this is unreal'.

"You can't say it was the system he was at formerly [the New England Patriots]. It's definitely Tom Brady, he's Tom Brady. He's amazing."

Brady banished everyone from his house in the days leading up to the Super Bowl so he could fully focus on inspiring the Buccaneers to victory, but the 39-year-old Williams said she could never do the same as she would not want to be separated from her daughter, Olympia.

"I would not be able to go function without my three-year-old around," Williams said. "I think I would be in a depression.

"We've been together every day of her life, so... Is that healthy? Not at all! Not even close. But every single day I just want to be around her. It's great. Everyone's different.

"I can totally understand why he would banish because if I had the strength to do it, I would too.

"I could see it's definitely a distraction, especially every year that I've played except for the past few months, I finally am starting to get better at it. The first two and a half years was very difficult. I wasn't strong enough to do the banishment."

Williams, who will face Nina Stojanovic in the second round at Melbourne Park, was delighted with the manner in which she swept Siegemund aside and had no issues with her shoulder after withdrawing from a pre-tournament event citing an injury problem.

"This was a good start. Definitely vintage 'Rena'. It's definitely good. I think I'm pretty good at pacing myself in a grand slam," she said.

"I was happy just to get through it. Wasn't sure how my serve would be after a little bit of that shoulder, but it's feeling good, I'm feeling good. So, it felt really good.

"Last year was very crazy for the world, and to be able to do what I love and to be able to come out and compete and play at a grand slam, after the last 12 months, it makes me appreciate the moment even more."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians has no plans to retire after capturing his first Super Bowl crown, insisting he will return to try and claim back-to-back Lombardi Trophies.

Arians became the oldest head coach to win a Super Bowl after Tom Brady led the Buccaneers past defending champions the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 in Sunday's Super Bowl LV.

After retiring in 2017, Arians returned to coach the Buccaneers in 2019 and he capped his comeback by delivering a first Super Bowl championship to Tampa since the 2002 season.

Having upstaged Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, Aaron Rodgers' Green Bay Packers and Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs en route to glory, the Buccaneers became the first team in history to win three games against former Super Bowl MVPs in the same postseason, per Stats Perform.

Asked if he might retire after tasting Super Bowl success, the 68-year-old Arians told reporters: "Hell no, I'm not going anywhere. I'm coming back, trying to get two then we will see after that.

"This football team, I love these guys. We have a great staff, great team. Hopefully [general manager] Jason [Licht] and I can get together and keep most of them and try to repeat."

Having retired following four years in charge of the Arizona Cardinals until 2017, Arians spent a year as a television game analyst in 2018.

Arians is also a prostate cancer survivor and when asked if he had ever imagined winning a Super Bowl title, he replied: "Not really. I think I would've been smoking something illegal to really imagine this.

"I can't thank Jason enough, the Glazer family for giving me this opportunity, and my coaching staff, they are outstanding. I don't do anything, they do it all.

"We have great, great players. Jason, again, gets all the credit for the roster. I just try to get out of the way and not screw up."

Looking ahead to defending their crown, Arians added: "We need to keep our guys here and try to hit another home run in free agency. Just with our guys and maybe an outside guy. Jason will hit another home run in the draft.

"We don't have many weak spots, if we get the guys we need back, we just need great athletes in the draft."

Brady was the star of the show at Raymond James Stadium, where the evergreen 43-year-old superstar clinched a record-extending seventh Super Bowl championship in his first season with the Buccaneers.

He threw three touchdowns to be crowned Super Bowl MVP for the fifth time in his illustrious career.

With the memorable victory, Brady joined MLB first baseman Johnny Mize (1950s New York Yankees) and NHL goaltender Johnny Bower (1960s Toronto Maple Leafs) as the only players to win four championships aged 37 or older, per Stats Perform.

Brady also followed in the footsteps of Hall of Famer Peyton Manning as the only players in NFL history to win Super Bowls with two different teams, while he became the first player to win Super Bowls in three different decades.

"It was a slow and steady progress, every game and every week," Arians said after being asked when he knew Brady was ready in Tampa after arriving from the New England Patriots.

"Really the second half of the Chiefs game, we made a nice comeback, but the 31 points we put on Atlanta in the second half, we started attacking more and haven't stopped attacking since."

Tom Brady hailed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense for stepping up after another dominant display in their Super Bowl LV victory.

Brady won a record-extending seventh Super Bowl title as the Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 on Sunday.

The Buccaneers became the first team to win three games against former Super Bowl MVPs in the same postseason after overcoming Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints), Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) and Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs).

Mahomes was intercepted twice and sacked three times and Brady said the Buccaneers' defense delivered again.

"They stepped up to the challenge. You go up against a guy like Pat, incredible player, Aaron, MVP, two weeks ago they played incredible and then Drew they played great," Brady told a news conference.

"They stepped up, they rose to the occasion and we needed it because playing extremely talented offenses but just so happy we all came to play."

While Mahomes completed 26 of 49 passes for 270 yards, Brady was 21 of 29 for 201 yards and three touchdowns and was named Super Bowl MVP.

The Buccaneers quarterback was full of praise for his team's belief after Tampa Bay won a first Super Bowl since the 2002 season.

"I think everybody believed we could win. I think all year we believed in ourselves," Brady said.

"Our coaches believed in us, we believed in ourselves and again we were going up against a great team and just happy we got the job done."

"The worst I've been beaten in a long time". That is how Patrick Mahomes described the Kansas City Chiefs' 31-9 defeat to Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.

The Chiefs were looking to become the first NFL team since the New England Patriots in 2003 and 2004 to win back-to-back Super Bowls.

But Mahomes and the Chiefs were overpowered by a brutal Buccaneers team – spearheaded by superstar quarterback Brady and a relentless defensive and offensive line in Tampa on Sunday.

Mahomes and the Chiefs were stifled by the Buccaneers, who claimed their first Lombardi Trophy since the 2002 season as Brady clinched a record-extending seventh championship ring.

After finishing 26-of-49 passing for 270 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions and three sacks, Mahomes told reporters: "The worst I've been beaten in a long time, but I'm proud of the guys and how they fought until the end of the game."

"We weren't on the same page as an offense in general," Mahomes said. "I wasn't getting the ball out on time, receivers were running routs not exactly where I thought they'd be.

"The offensive line, they were good at times but sometimes let guys through. When you play a good defense like that, you have to be on the same page as an offense and we weren't. That's why we played so bad."

Mahomes had little support as he was roughened up by the Buccaneers, though the 2018 NFL MVP was far from his best despite a battling performance.

Asked about an ongoing toe problem and whether he requires surgery, Mahomes replied: "I can't say my toe was a problem when I played two weeks ago and played well on it.

"You're playing football, you have to battle through injuries.

"We'll look at it tomorrow [Monday] and make a final decision as to whether to have surgery or not."

There have been eight teams all-time to reach the Super Bowl after averaging at least 410 total yards per game – the Denver Broncos (2013), Miami Dolphins (1984), New England Patriots (2011 and 2007), Los Angeles Rams (2018 and 2001), the Atlanta Falcons (2016) and Chiefs this year. All eight sides went on to lose the showpiece, per Stats Perform.

Despite the comprehensive nature of the defeat, Mahomes was upbeat afterwards.

"My dad lost in the World Series in his [MLB] career and he continues to battle and be who he is," Mahomes added. "Obviously it hurts now, it hurts a lot. But we are going to continue to get better. We have a young group of guys that have had a lot of success and learnt from that, but a few failures and we have to learn from that.

"We can't let this define us. We have to get better, going into next year, being even better in preparing ourselves to hopefully be back in this game next season."

He continued: "We have a young group of guys, when we joined together we knew it wasn’t always going to be successful and you weren't going to be able to win 1,000 championships in a row.

"We knew we would go through times like this and adversity. Leadership ability to be better next year. Obviously we didn't end the same the way we wanted to but we can learn from that and learn from successes through the season, end of the day come in at blank slate and get to the Super Bowl again."

Andy Reid did not see the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl LV performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coming.

Tom Brady led the Buccaneers to a comfortable 31-9 victory over the Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday.

Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes completed 26 of 49 passes for 270 yards and two interceptions, while being sacked three times.

Reid said the performance came as a surprise, with the Chiefs also giving away 11 penalties.

"I didn't see it coming at all. I thought we were going to come in and we were going to play these guys right just like we had been playing teams. It didn't happen that way," the Chiefs head coach told a news conference.

"They did a nice job, I give them credit on it. I didn't anticipate this happening."

While Mahomes also rushed for 33 yards, the quarterback was consistently troubled by the Buccaneers' defense.

Reid said there were no questions over the mental toughness of last season's Super Bowl MVP, but he also took responsibility for not giving the 25-year-old more chances.

"Until the last snap he was trying to win the football game. That should never be questioned," he said.

"I could have done a better job in helping him out with the run game. I could've given him more opportunities where we could've run the football."

Reid's son, Britt, was involved in a multi-vehicle crash on Thursday and the Chiefs head coach said it impacted him personally.

"I'd be lying if I didn't tell you my heart bleeds for the people involved in it. We had put the game plan in the week before. It wasn't a distraction as far as the game plan goes. That was already in and how we were going to work with it and go forward," he said.

"From a human standpoint, it's a tough one. From a football standpoint, I don't think that was the problem."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Tom Brady dismissed any talk of retirement, saying he was "coming back" after winning Super Bowl LV.

Brady led the Buccaneers past the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 on Sunday to win a record-extending seventh Super Bowl crown.

There was speculation the 43-year-old quarterback could retire if the Buccaneers won the showpiece game, but Brady will return for a 22nd NFL season.

"We're coming back. You already know that," he said after being named Super Bowl MVP.

Brady completed 21 of 29 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns as the Buccaneers dominated, winning their first Super Bowl since the 2002 season.

After beating Drew Brees' New Orleans Saints, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers and Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs, the Buccaneers became the first team to win three games against former Super Bowl MVPs in the same postseason.

Brady also followed in the footsteps of Hall of Famer Peyton Manning as the only players in NFL history to win Super Bowls with two different teams, while he became the first player to win Super Bowls in three different decades.

Tom Brady has been crowned Super Bowl MVP for a fifth time after leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to their first Lombardi Trophy since the 2002 season.

Brady threw three touchdowns as the Buccaneers upstaged Patrick Mahomes and defending champions the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 in Sunday's Super Bowl LV.

Buccaneers superstar Brady claimed a record-extending seventh Super Bowl crown, and first in Tampa after ending his illustrious 20-year association with the New England Patriots at the start of the season.

Brady finished 21-of-29 passing for 201 yards, three TDs, no interceptions and just one sack at Raymond James Stadium.

The 43-year-old's latest Super Bowl MVP honour adds to his previous successes in 2002, 2004, 2015 and 2017.

"I'm so proud of all these guys down here," Brady said. "Everything we dealt with all year, we had a rough month in November but BA [head coach Bruce Arians] had all the confidence in us.

"The team had a lot of confidence, we came together at the right time. I think we knew this was going to happen, didn't we?"

With the memorable victory, Brady joined MLB first baseman Johnny Mize (1950s New York Yankees) and NHL goaltender Johnny Bower (1960s Toronto Maple Leafs) as the only players to win four championships aged 37 or older, per Stats Perform.

Brady also followed in the footsteps of Hall of Famer Peyton Manning as the only players in NFL history to win Super Bowls with two different teams, while he became the first player to win Super Bowls in three different decades.

Tom Brady made more history, the most successful player in NFL history claiming a seventh Super Bowl crown after sensationally leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers past the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 in Super Bowl LV.

In a blockbuster showdown pitting 43-year-old great Brady against reigning Super Bowl MVP Mahomes – the face of NFL's new generation – it was the veteran quarterback who came out on top in a masterclass on Sunday.

Brady – already the record-holder with six previous Super Bowl victories – threw three touchdown passes, including two to trusted team-mate Rob Gronkowski, after completing 21 of 29 throws for 201 yards and no interceptions as the Buccaneers claimed their first Lombardi Trophy since the 2002 campaign.

With the memorable victory in his first season with the Buccaneers, Brady joined MLB first baseman Johnny Mize (1950s New York Yankees) and NHL goaltender Johnny Bower (1960s Toronto Maple Leafs) as the only players to win four championships aged 37 or older. 

Brady also followed in the footsteps of Hall of Famer Peyton Manning as the only players in NFL history to win Super Bowls with two different teams.

It was a night to forget for Mahomes and the Chiefs after the Kansas City signal-caller finished 26-of-49 passing for 270 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions and three sacks, Tampa Bay's defense stifling Andy Reid's men.

There were plenty of storylines in Tampa – Brady featuring in his fifth Super Bowl since turning 37, tying the most appearances in a championship game/series by any player in any major North American sport, alongside NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and MLB great Roger Clemens, while he is only one of three athletes in North American sport to make three championship appearances aged 40 or older.

Led by Mahomes, the Chiefs were looking to become the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since Brady and the New England Patriots in the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

Sarah Thomas also made history as the NFL's first female Super Bowl official at Raymond James Stadium, where the Buccaneers became the first home team to stage a showpiece and Brady overcame an early sack in the first quarter.

Mahomes came close to throwing a touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill, instead a field goal getting the Chiefs on the board before Brady and the Buccaneers took control.

Brady led an impressive eight-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a TD pass to a familiar face – Gronkowski – with 37 seconds remaining in the opening quarter as the pair surpassed Joe Montana and Jerry Rice (12) for the most touchdowns by any quarterback-receiver combo in postseason history with their 13th.

It also marked the first time in 10 Super Bowl appearances that Brady's team scored a touchdown in the opening period.

Brady and the Buccaneers – leading 7-3 after one quarter – were purring against a defensively poor Chiefs – the veteran QB thought he had another touchdown pass, but a desperate Anthony Hitchens made a TD-saving play on Joe Haeg in the endzone early in the second period.

Kansas City's defense came up big to thwart the red-hot Buccaneers, stopping Tampa Bay just short of the endzone on fourth down, but Mahomes lacked support offensively as Travis Kelce also dropped a catch.

As the penalties piled up for the Chiefs, the Buccaneers capitalised – Brady delivering a laser pass to Gronkowski in the endzone before Antonio Brown benefited from another throw to extend Tampa Bay's lead to 21-6 on the stroke of half-time.

Shell-shocked, the Chiefs needed a response in the second half but they did not get it to begin the third quarter after they were exposed defensively again – Leonard Fournette's defensive-splitting 27-yard run making it 28-9 in favour of the hosts.

After four successful extra-point conversions, Ryan Succop nailed a 52-yard field goal to move the Buccaneers further clear late in the third quarter as Mahomes' Chiefs tried unsuccessfully to rally to victory.

Tom Brady claimed a seventh Super Bowl crown after leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to their first Lombardi Trophy since the 2002 season with a dominant victory over defending champions the Kansas City Chiefs.

Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski broke an NFL postseason record to give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a lead over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.

Brady's eight-yard touchdown pass to Gronkowski in the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday saw the duo make history.

They surpassed Joe Montana and Jerry Rice (12) for the most TDs by any quarterback-receiver combo in postseason history with their 13th.

It also marked the first time in 10 Super Bowl appearances that Brady's team have scored a TD in the first quarter.

The Buccaneers held a 7-3 lead after the opening quarter.

Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers said he is honoured to be named MVP after being crowned the NFL's best player for a third time.

Rodgers capped a stellar 2020 regular season by receiving another Most Valuable Player award on Saturday, having also reigned supreme in 2011 and 2014.

The Packers fell short in the NFC Conference Game, beaten by Super Bowl finalists the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but veteran quarterback Rodgers still enjoyed a memorable campaign.

Rodgers amassed 48 touchdowns, five interceptions and a completion rate of 70.7 per cent for the Packers this season.

His quarterback rating of 121.5 puts him second on the all-time list among qualifiers, behind only his 2011 campaign (122.5).

In total, Rodgers completed 372 of 526 attempts for 4,299 yards as the Packers topped the NFC North with a 13-3 record to clinch home-field advantage and the top seed in the NFC playoffs for the first time since 2011.

"It's an honour to win this award for the third time," Rodgers said in a pre-pared video acceptance speech. "2020 was definitely a crazy year filled with lots of change, growth, some amazing memorable moments, 180 straight days of having my nose hairs scraped, playing for very little fans or no [fans] the entire season. I got engaged, and I played some of the best football of my career. "

The 37-year-old Rodgers is now level with Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, Packers great Brett Favre, Johnny Unitas and Jim Brown with three MVP honours – only Peyton Manning (five) has more in NFL history.

"The guys on that list are guys I grew up watching, idolising," Rodgers said. "To join that list of guys who've won it more than twice is pretty special."

Rodgers became the first QB to lead the league in the categories of touchdown passes, completion percentage, passer rating and interception percentage (1.0) in the same season since 1992, when Steve Young won the first of his two MVPs.

"To have won it in my fourth year as a starter was very special, and now to win it in my 13th year as a starter, in a new offense, is pretty amazing and something I'm really proud of," Rodgers said.

"To have sustained success and to be playing your best football at 37, in my 16th season, is something I take a lot of pride in."

Rodgers added: "I'm really thankful for my team-mates, the way that they played this year. It's so much fun being called upon to be a leader of this football team.

"I'm thankful for the opportunity to still be here, to still be the starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers.

"The success we had this year made the season a lot of fun at a time when there was a lot of turmoil and protocols around coronavirus.

"So I'm thankful for all my guys, all the support from them, having my back, listening to me, questioning me, having great conversations, growing together on the field, and then going out and putting up big-time performances."

If Aaron Rodgers intended to make a statement in the 2020 season, he could hardly have done so more emphatically.

The quarterback's future in Green Bay became a hot topic in the offseason when the franchise surprisingly used their first-round pick in the 2020 draft to seemingly choose his replacement. 

Selecting Jordan Love was obviously part of the long-term plan for the Packers, but Rodgers – who may have hoped for an upgrade in weapons, rather than an apprentice to watch and learn while waiting in the wings – showed he is no mood to relinquish the starting job in a hurry. 

Winning the MVP award for a third time in his career may not ease the disappointment of his team missing out on the Super Bowl, but it is a thoroughly deserved honour following a season that suggests, even at 37, he may just be better than ever. 

The basic numbers are impressive enough: 48 touchdowns, five interceptions and a completion rate of 70.7 per cent. His quarterback rating of 121.5 puts him second on the all-time list among qualifiers, just behind... Aaron Rodgers. His 2011 campaign sits top at 122.5, though that year he threw fewer touchdowns (45) and one extra pick. 

Dig a little deeper, though, and you see just why the members of the Associated Press voted the signal-caller as the most valuable player during the regular season. 

Old dog, new records

Conventional wisdom suggests Rodgers' career should, at his age, be winding down towards a conclusion. However, the man who helped defeat Rodgers and the Packers in the NFC Championship Game, 43-year-old Tom Brady, has redefined the limits for quarterbacks seemingly in their final years in the game.

And Rodgers produced some NFL firsts as he led Green Bay to the best record in the conference.

No player in NFL history had previously managed to complete at least 70 per cent of their pass attempts while managing a passer rating of at least 120.0 in a season - until this year.

Displaying a devastating ability to carve up defenses while doing a superb job of protecting the football, Rodgers also became the first quarterback to have 40 or more touchdowns while throwing five or fewer interceptions. Two of those picks were in Week 5 against the Buccaneers, the only outing in which he failed to manage a scoring pass.

Davante Adams was, unsurprisingly, his favourite option. The wide receiver was targeted 149 times - putting him fourth on the list for the entire league, behind only Stefon Diggs, DeAndre Hopkins and Allen Robinson.

Running back Aaron Jones was second for the Packers with 63 targets, but Rodgers was willing to share the ball around. On the roster, nine players made it to double figures, among them receiving duo Marquez Valdes-Scantling (63) and Allen Lazard (46), who both finished with 33 catches. Breakout tight end Robert Tonyan, meanwhile, caught all but seven of his 59 targets.

Hat-trick hero

Though Rodgers could not get the better of Brady in either the regular season or the playoffs, he did at least emulate an achievement the six-time Super Bowl champion pulled off during the season widely considered as his greatest.

Rodgers had 12 games with at least three passing touchdowns, tied for the most in a single campaign in NFL history. Brady had reached that same tally in 2007, when he scorched defenses across the league in leading the New England Patriots to an unbeaten 16-0 regular season.

Yet even Brady at that 2007 zenith could not produce what Rodgers did in 10 games in 2020, as he reached double figures with at least three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Of course, it is significantly easier to protect the football when playing with a lead - and Rodgers' extraordinary first-half performances ensured the Packers did a lot of that this season on their way to a second successive 13-3 record under head coach Matt LaFleur.

Stunning in the second quarter

Rodgers threw an incredible 70.8 per cent of his touchdown passes in the opening half, with his total of 34 scores the most ever in an NFL season. The second quarter was clearly his favourite too, with 25 TDs also a new record for a single quarter.

Those remarkable numbers were fuelled partially by Rodgers' dominance over the rest of the NFC North, which was illustrated by him throwing 20 touchdowns with no interceptions in six games against division opponents. No other player has reached that number and avoided being picked off in divisional match-ups.

With the Minnesota Vikings the only realistic threat in the NFC North as the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions plot their next moves at the quarterback, there is no immediate sign of the Packers' grip on the division loosening.

So while Rodgers pondered his future in the aftermath of the Packers' postseason exit, the reality is that, as long as he has the ability to perform at his 2020 levels and Green Bay have control of the NFC North, there is little reason for the newly crowned MVP to look elsewhere to fulfil his ambition of winning a second Lombardi Trophy.

Love may well end up being the future starter for Green Bay, but there is little reason to suggest they are about to move on from a franchise legend just yet.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been crowned the NFL's MVP for a third time.

Rodgers was honoured during Saturday's awards – on the eve of Super Bowl LV between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers – as he added to his 2011 and 2014 MVPs.

The 37-year-old is now level with Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, Packers great Brett Favre, Johnny Unitas and Jim Brown with three Most Valuable Player honours – only Peyton Manning (five) has more in NFL history.

The Packers fell short in the NFC Conference Game, beaten by Super Bowl finalists the Buccaneers, but Rodgers still enjoyed a memorable campaign.

Packers star Rodgers amassed 48 touchdowns, five interceptions and a completion rate of 70.7 per cent this season.

His quarterback rating of 121.5 puts him second on the all-time list among qualifiers, behind only his 2011 campaign (122.5).

In total, Rodgers completed 372 of 526 attempts for 4,299 yards as the Packers topped the NFC North with a 13-3 record to clinch home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs for the first time since 2011.

Rodgers – a Super Bowl champion during the 2010 season – featured in his first NFC title decider at Lambeau Field, but the Packers fell to Brady's Buccaneers 31-26.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald won the Defensive Player of the Year for a third time.

Pittsburgh Steelers pass rusher T.J. Watt had been tipped to win the award, but Donald maintained his dominance, having also reigned supreme in 2017 and 2018.

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski claimed the Coach of the Year award after leading the franchise to their first postseason victory in 25 years.

Not since the 1994 season had the Browns won a playoff matchup, until upstaging the Steelers before losing to the Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round.

List of NFL Honors

Rookie of the Year: Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert
Defensive Player of the Year: Los Angeles Rams DL Aaron Donald
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert
Offensive Player of the Year: Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Washington DE Chase Young
Comeback Player of the Year: Washington QB Alex Smith
Coach of the Year: Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski
Most Valuable Player: Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers

The NFL crowned its two top rookies on Saturday as Chase Young and Justin Herbert claimed deserved recognition for stunning first years in the league. 

Defensive Rookie of the Year Young, the second overall pick in the 2020 draft, had long since been the frontrunner for that award.

His case was helped substantially by the pivotal role he played in propelling the Washington Football Team to an unlikely playoff berth as part of a fearsome defensive front.

Herbert was not given the chance to test himself in the playoffs as the Los Angeles Chargers' mystifying tendency for throwing away leads condemned them to another losing season.

But the Chargers can afford to be confident that better days are ahead, Herbert looked every inch a franchise quarterback as he subverted pre-draft expectations that were not as high as those placed on former Heisman Trophy finalist Young.

Both Young and Herbert look poised to have a defining impact on the NFL over the course of the 2020s and here, using Stats Perform data, we look back on their magnificent maiden years.

Chase Young

Just like his fellow former Ohio State edge rusher Nick Bosa, drafted second overall by the San Francisco 49ers in 2019, Young emphatically lived up to his draft status, becoming the fourth ex-Buckeye to win Defensive Rookie of the Year in the last five seasons (DE Joey Bosa, 2016; CB Marshon Lattimore, 2017; DE Nick Bosa, 2019).

He did so through making the lives of opposing offensive linemen miserable, leading rookies in every metric that measures pass rush.

Young's 7.5 sacks were first among all rookies, while he also led the way hurries (37), knockdowns (12.5), quarterback hits (12) and total pressures (55).

Similarly dominant against the run, Young was first among all rookies with 10 tackles for loss and six stuffs, his performance in the latter category putting him tied-13th among all defenders.

He demonstrated a nose for the football, his four forced fumbles tied third in the NFL. Three of those resulted in turnovers, with only Myles Garrett (4) performing better in that regard.

Young's game-wrecking rookie year proved his pre-draft billing was well deserved and, in the eyes of many, vindicated taking him ahead of the other quarterbacks not named Joe Burrow.

However, the success of the Chargers' gamble on a quarterback seen as a level below Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa raises the question of whether Washington would have been better served taking a chance on Herbert.

Justin Herbert

After making his first start in Week 2 amid unusual circumstances, Herbert's rookie season was one defined by him setting rookie records.

Herbert is the only quarterback in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards in a season having not played the opener, Week 1 starter Tyrod Taylor sidelined after a team doctor accidentally punctured his lung while administering a painkilling injection.

His 4,336 passing yards rank second all-time among rookie quarterbacks behind Andrew Luck, who racked up 4,374 with the Indianapolis Colts in 2012.

With his completion percentage of 66.6 trailing only Dak Prescott's 67.8 in 2016, Herbert set all-time leading marks for rookie quarterbacks in completions (396), passing yards per game (289.1), passing touchdowns (31) and 300-yard games, of which he recorded eight.

Just three players - Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson and Tom Brady - finished with a higher yards per game average in the regular season in 2020.

Herbert's name already being in such elite company indicates he is primed to make the leap to the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks, provided Los Angeles can build an ecosystem to make the most of his undoubted gifts, and it unquestionably makes him worthy of being the first Charger to win Offensive Rookie of the Year since Don Woods in 1974.

Few anticipated Herbert outperforming both Burrow and Tagovailoa in his rookie season. While Young's incredible first year is an endorsement for betting on freakish athleticism on defense, Herbert's record-setting start to what the Chargers hope will be a storied career serves as further evidence of the significantly more imposing challenge that comes with evaluating quarterbacks.