What Happened to Drew Bledsoe? Inside His Life 24 Years After Near-Fatal Injury

On Sept. 23, 2001, Drew Bledsoe was leading the New England Patriots as quarterback in a seemingly routine game against the New York Jets.

He had just signed the NFL’s biggest contract ever and was a fan-favorite. All of that was cut short, though, when Bledsoe got hit in quick succession by Mo Lewis and Shaun Ellis. Tom Brady took his place on the field, and at first, the team doctors thought Bledsoe was simply suffering from a concussion. After the game, though, as his condition worsened, team personnel encouraged him to go to the hospital, per ESPN.

Doctors soon found that the on-field hits had sheared a blood vessel in Bledsoe’s chest, which was rapidly filling his body with blood. He survived the ordeal, and Brady ended up showing himself to be an impressive quarterback, taking the team to win the Super Bowl.

Bledsoe has repeatedly praised Brady, but also admitted it was “bittersweet” watching his success.

“With Tom it was bittersweet; love the guy,” Bledsoe said in the 2021 docuseries Man in the Arena. “But at the same time, that’s my job that he’s got. And that’s my team that he’s leading. And I don’t get to go out there and do that. … But I do think that I was able to, in spite of that, actually get my job done and still be supportive.”

Bledsoe went on to make his fourth Pro Bowl while playing for the Buffalo Bills before retiring in 2007 and eventually being inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

So, where is Drew Bledsoe now? Here’s everything to know about the Super Bowl champion’s life 24 years after his life-changing injury.

Who is Drew Bledsoe?

Bledsoe was a legendary NFL quarterback who still holds records today, including for most completions in a game. After being drafted in 1993, Bledsoe became the Patriots’ starting quarterback immediately and became the youngest quarterback ever to play in the Pro Bowl at 22 years old in 1995.

As the face of the Patriots, Bledsoe helped lead them to relevance in the 1990s with three consecutive playoff appearances. This culminated in a Super Bowl appearance against Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers in 1997.

Overall, he made four Pro Bowl appearances and was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. After The Roast of Tom Brady in 2024, Bledsoe reflected on his career and how he was one of the all-time leaders in passing yards.

“When I retired, there were only, five or six guys in the history of the NFL that had thrown for more yards than me,” Bledsoe said on All Facts No Brakes. “That was the entire list of the people that had thrown for more yards than I had thrown for in my 14 years — pretty nice career, right?”

What is Drew Bledsoe famous for?

While Bledsoe became one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, he will also always be known as the man Brady replaced due to his near-fatal injury. Prior to the start of the 2001 season, the Patriots’ owner, Robert Kraft, signed Bledsoe to a 10-year, $103 million deal, which was the biggest contract in the history of the NFL at the time, per the Hartford Courant.

In a press conference, Bledsoe said he wanted to lead the Patriots to the championships that year, but during a week 2 game against the New York Jets, he got hit by linebacker Lewis while running downfield and was out for the rest of the game. Brady came in to replace him while Bledsoe received treatment.

Bledsoe merely felt dazed and groggy, but after the team’s trainer saw he had an elevated heart rate, it was clear things were worse. The quarterback swiftly went to the hospital, and it was determined he was suffering from life-threatening internal bleeding in his chest.

“I don’t think I really knew how serious everything was for a couple days afterward, but yeah, if our trainer hadn’t intervened — because I just wanted to go home — and if our team doctor hadn’t sent me to the hospital, things could have been really different,” Bledsoe told NFL.com while reflecting on the injury.

With the right medical care, Bledsoe was able to recover.

What happened to Drew Bledsoe after his near-fatal injury?

Once Bledsoe received a clean bill of health, then-Patriots coach Bill Belichick made the shocking decision to stick with Brady as the starting quarterback.

The team went on to win the Super Bowl, and Bledsoe was then traded to the Buffalo Bills, where he earned a Pro Bowl Selection and had one of the best years of his career.

Bledsoe played with the Bills until 2005, before joining the Dallas Cowboys for two seasons and retiring in 2007 at 35 years old.

Reflecting on his career, Bledsoe has said he isn’t just proud of his records, but how he conducted himself as a leader while helping to turn the Patriots franchise around.

“I would hope that I’m perceived as a guy that showed up every week and gave everything he had on the field to try and win,” Bledsoe told Patriots.com in 2010. “I think that as I grew in the position, I became a leader for our team and the teams that I was on. I think probably as important to me as anything is not necessarily the yards and the statistics but that I was able to leave the team feeling that I had handled myself and conducted myself in a way that not only I, but also my family could be proud of.”

Where is Drew Bledsoe now?

Bledsoe is still known as one of the greatest quarterbacks of his generation and was recognized for his efforts in 2011 when the Patriots inducted him into their Hall of Fame. Upon retiring, Bledsoe was able to spend time with his wife Maura and his four children: sons Stuart, John and Henry and daughter Healy.

Bledsoe and his wife have also launched a successful career making wine with Bledsoe-McDaniels Winery, Doubleback and Bledsoe Family Winery. Their wines have been included in Wine Spectator‘s top 100 list many times.

“I was a small-town kid who got to live out my childhood dream and then ‘doubled back’ to my roots to start our wine endeavor,” Bledsoe told Robb Report in 2023. “We started with a piece of bare ground and planted what is now McQueen Vineyard. We make all our decisions with wine quality as the number one goal. Everything else flows from those decisions.”

Bledsoe also made an appearance at The Roast of Tom Brady in 2024, where he participated in a short skit in which Belichick told him it wasn’t his night, but rather Brady’s. “Again?” Bledsoe comically exclaimed.

At the end of his roast, after making plenty of jokes at Brady’s expense, he showered praise on his former teammate.

“Tommy, I’ve told you before and I will tell you now in front of millions of people, [I’m] incredibly proud of all that you’ve accomplished,” Bledsoe said. “But I’m far more proud of how you’ve done it. You’ve always been a man of true character. I know you’re gonna continue to do great things.”