When the Patriots take on the Lions Thursday night for their first game of the 2019 preseason, most — if not all — of the team's biggest names will probably get the night off.
That includes Tom Brady, who's expected to sit out New England's preseason opener for the fifth time in the last six years. After all, what does a 42-year-old future Hall of Famer need to prove in early August?
But before all the Super Bowls, before the fame, and before the glory, Brady was just a 22-year-old rookie looking to make a name for himself after getting chosen with the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft.
Even if you saw Brady debut against the 49ers in the fourth quarter of the Patriots' preseason opener 19 years ago, you've probably forgotten. Who would remember a third-stringer taking the field for mop-up duty in Week 1 of the preseason?
Luckily, the NFL Throwback Twitter account is here to jog your memory — or show you something you've never seen before.
Brady's receivers that night? Who could forget Sean Morey, Chris Floyd, and Shockmain Davis?
And it wasn't just Brady's first game with the Patriots; it was also Bill Belichick's. All season long, Tom E. Curran will be tracing the beginning of the Patriots' dynasty by talking to those who were there at the time. He started by looking at the cultural shift Belichick was trying to implement in Foxboro. (Look for more installments throughout the season on NBCSportsBoston.com.)
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So while Brady likely won't see the field tonight, pay attention to the players who are out there. You never know — maybe some of them will be future MVPs one day.
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