FanIQ › Players

Player

Drew Bledsoe

QB (retired)

Drew Bledsoe: facts drawn from the play-by-play.

FanIQ Research · May 10, 2026 · 6 facts, every one from the play-by-play

14-year career (1993-2006). 1993 #1 overall pick. 4x Pro Bowler. 44,611 career passing yards. The original modern NE franchise QB.

Milestone

Career honors snapshot

Honor	Count
Pro Bowls	4
Career yards	44,611
Career TDs	251
Career INTs	206
Draft pick	#1 overall (1993)

From #1 pick (1993) to SB starter (1996) to losing his job to a 6th-rounder (2001). One of the great career arcs.

Trend

Bledsoe season-by-season (1999-2006)

Year	Tm	Yds	TDs	INTs
1999	NE	3,985	19	21
2000	NE	3,291	17	13
2002	BUF	4,359	24	15
2003	BUF	2,860	11	12
2004	BUF	2,932	20	16
2005	DAL	3,639	23	17

Bledsoe passing yards by year

Season	Yards
1999	3985
2000	3291
2002	4359
2004	2932
2005	3639

The Mo Lewis hit (Sept 23, 2001) is the most consequential injury in NFL history — it gave us Tom Brady.

Rare

The Mo Lewis ripple effect

Date	Event
Sept 23, 2001	Mo Lewis hit on Bledsoe (sheared blood vessel)
Sept 30, 2001	Brady starts vs IND, wins
Feb 3, 2002	Brady wins SB XXXVI
2002	Bledsoe traded to BUF

He was the franchise QB at NE for 9 years and won the AFC Championship game vs PIT after replacing an injured Brady.

Split

Bledsoe-Brady 2001 postseason twist

Round	Starter	Result
DIV vs OAK	Brady	Won (Tuck Rule)
AFC Champ vs PIT	Bledsoe (relief)	Won 24-17
SB XXXVI vs STL	Brady	Won 20-17

He led the NFL in pass attempts in 1994 (691) — still a top-10 single-season mark and a record at the time.

Anomaly

Bledsoe 1994 single-season volume

Stat	1994 value
Attempts	691 (NFL #1)
Completions	400
Yards	4,555
Pro Bowl	Yes
Age	22

Among #1 overall QBs of the 1990s, his career yardage trailed only Peyton Manning.

Comparison

#1 overall QBs of the 1990s

Player	Year	Career yds
Drew Bledsoe	1993	44,611
Peyton Manning	1998	71,940
Tim Couch	1999	11,131

FanIQ answers any NFL stats question with receipts, on your phone.

Get FanIQ free Get it on Google Play