Could the NFL’s Lombardi Trophy one day become the Brady Trophy? One legendary coach thinks it should be renamed after Tom Brady.
The idea of renaming major sports awards isn’t unprecedented. The NBA demonstrated this by renaming several major awards for the 2022-23 season, including:
- NBA Most Valuable Player to The Michael Jordan Trophy
- NBA Clutch Player of the Year to The Jerry West Trophy
- NBA Defensive Player of the Year to The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy
- NBA Rookie of the Year to The Wilt Chamberlain Trophy
- NBA Sixth Man of the Year to The John Havlicek Trophy
- NBA Most Improved Player of the Year to The George Mikan Trophy
The NBA also previously named its All-Star Game MVP and Finals MVP awards after Kobe Bryant and Bill Russell, respectively.
Now, a legendary head coach has suggested a similar change for the NFL’s highest team honor.
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Bill Belichick wants to call Super Bowl trophy the Brady Trophy
![Tom Brady, Bill Belichick](https://sportsnaut.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Tom-Brady-Bill-Belichick-10180283-788x525.jpg)
During his appearance on the “Let’s Go!” podcast with Jim Gray, former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick emphasized the importance of players in winning championships.
“Players win games. You can’t win games without good players. I don’t care who the coach is, it’s impossible. You can’t win without good players,” Belichick said, before citing New York Giants players he coached as defensive coordinator, including Lawrence Taylor and Carl Banks. Belichick won two Super Bowls in that role with the Giants.
"They don't name it the Starr Trophy. They name it the Lombardi Trophy."
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) January 28, 2025
"Maybe they should name it the Brady Trophy."
🏆 @Belichick_B & @JimGrayOfficial on always crediting players before coaches, on this week's "Let's Go!"
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He continued: “And same thing when we got good at Cleveland and then at New England. I mean, it’s [Tom] Brady, it’s [Willie] McGinest, it’s [Mike] Vrabel, it’s [Tedy] Bruschi, it’s Corey Dillon, it’s Randy Moss, Troy Brown, Lawyer Milloy, Ty Law, Rodney Harrison. Those are guys that won the games, man. I didn’t make any tackles. I didn’t make any kicks. That was [Adam] Vinatieri that made that kick in 4 inches of snow.”
“You got to have good players and as a coach, you want to give your players a chance to win. You want to put them in a position where if they go out there and play well, they’ll have a chance to win. That’s what Coach [Bill] Parcells taught me, is there’s always a way to win. You just got to figure out what it is, and you have to give the players a chance.”
When Gray noted they never renamed the trophy after Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr, who won the first two Super Bowls, Belichick responded, “Maybe they should name it the Brady Trophy. He won seven of them.”
Brady and Belichick won six Super Bowls together during their 20-season partnership in New England. Brady later won a seventh with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while the Patriots struggled in Belichick’s final seasons. Brady also earned Super Bowl MVP honors five times during his career.
It’s hard to envision the NFL ever changing the name to the Brady Trophy, though. Perhaps if a passionate Patriots fan ever becomes commissioner, the idea might have a chance.
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