Tom Brady’s ascension to the greatest quarterback in NFL history has been improbable, which has made it so appealing.

Brady, as is well known, was a sixth-round pick by the New England Patriots (No. 199 overall) in the 2000 NFL Draft. New England already had a strong starter in Drew Bledsoe, so Brady was projected to compete for a backup job. Brady ultimately became the team’s backup but sat behind Bledsoe for the 2000 season.

In a profile by E:60 called “Better With Age,” Bledsoe recalls his thoughts on Brady. Bledsoe said he viewed Brady as someone who would be a career backup, similar to Jason Garrett.