Tom Brady's pro football career may have ended on Tuesday, but his days monopolizing the NFL's record books aren't anywhere near finished.

The 44-year-old retiree holds marks for Super Bowl wins (seven) and appearances (10), not to mention at least 10 other major distinctions. And Brady may be leaving near the top of his game. 

Even this past year, his 22nd in the league and second with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the GOAT led all quarterbacks in passing yards (5,316), touchdown passes (43) and completions (485). 

Given his recent success, it's easy to imagine Brady adding to his career records with another season at the helm of the Buccaneers. 

It's equally tantalizing to imagine what Brady's career marks would be if he hadn't spent a year as a backup.

The California native took a circuitous route to NFL stardom with the New England Patriots and, ultimately, the Bucs. Famously taken in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft — after his beloved San Francisco 49ers picked forgettable Hofstra quarterback Giovanni Carmazzi in the third — Brady spent a year as a backup to New England's four-time Pro Bowler, Drew Bledsoe.

But beginning in September of 2001, when Bledsoe was injured on a tackle by New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis, Brady took firm control of the starter's job, which he did not relinquish for 20 years.