Tom Brady, best known as the quarterback for the New England Patriots, is widely considered to be the best quarterback in the history of the NFL. Though he’s known for throwing the football with his right hand, after a recent injury that saw him injuring his dominant game hand, but not taken off the roster, people began to wonder if Tom Brady was perhaps left-handed.
Tom Brady is not left-handed. From the football field to signing autographs for legions of fans, it’s clear that the superstar athlete uses his right hand for all major tasks.
Read more below about the science of handedness, how having a dominant hand related to playing sports, and why certain experts would not be worried if Tom Brady permanently injured his right hand.
Science and Statistics
Handedness has always been an issue curious to science. Though there are many theories, no one is entirely certain why someone becomes right or left hand dominant, nor are they certain why up to 90% of the world’s population is right-handed, or even why being left-handed has not died out as an evolutionary trait.
Whatever the reasons are that southpaws have continued to thrive as a minority of the population, they have created an unusual niche for the world of retail and marketing, with all kinds of items being made for left handed people, which are easier to use than the average tools created for a right-handed society. Though the stigma of being left handed has lessened over the years, there are still many pervasive myths about left handed people.
Being left handed is associated with early death and the onset of poor mental health, but it is also associated with being more creative. Despite multiple studies into left and right handedness, science has not come up with a definitive answer as to whether or not left hand dominance is actually indicative of these things and vice versa.
Sports and Southpaws
How that ties into the world of sports is even more curious. Though there have been a small number of left-handed quarterbacks in the NFL, they are a rarity among major league players. According to The Wall Street Journal, there have been fewer than three dozen left-handed quarterbacks in over a century of NFL history.
Steve Young, the most successful southpaw quarterback in the history of the NFL, takes umbrage with this fact. Speaking of the disparity, Young said, “There’s something wrong from a statistical standpoint,” while pointing out that the number should be much higher given that 10% of the population is left-handed.
Though the NFL has no rule against left-handed quarterbacks, the scarcity likely comes from the limited pool of people who are qualified to be an NFL quarterback. San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan says most coaches in the league have no bias against southpaws, saying, “A good thrower is a good thrower. I would say it’s probably a coincidence, probably less pool to choose from.”
Brady Can’t Be Beat
Tom Brady, however, is not an average football player. Having led his team to multiple Super Bowl victories, Brady’s skill has proven him to be one of the most storied athletes ever.
However, would Tom Brady be as great of a quarterback if he had to throw with his left hand? Many believe he would.
Doug Marrone, the head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, says he would still be worried about Tom Brady’s skills on the football field, even if he were playing as a southpaw. Speaking of the hypothetical scenario, Marrone said, “I’m sure he could probably throw left-handed if he has a problem with his right hand and throw just as well.”
Though it’s unlikely that Tom Brady will ever professionally play left-handed, it’s clear people who know the game of football well believe he could, which makes him an even bigger threat as an opponent, despite his already indomitable skills.