NFL playoffs: Brady and Rodgers' conference championship run halted

For the first time in over a decade, neither Tom Brady nor Aaron Rodgers will feature in the NFL’s conference championship games.

Gustavo GarcíaUpdate: Jan 24th, 2022 14:11 EST

Kevin C. Cox/Patrick McDermottGetty Images

One of the most significant runs in the history of the NFL came to an end in the divisional round of the 2021/22 playoffs this weekend.

The defeats suffered by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Green Bay Packers mean that this season’s conference championship games won’t feature either Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers – the first time this has happened since the 2009 campaign.

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Brady-Rodgers streak began with Packers’ Super Bowl-winning 2010 season

The pair’s sequence of conference championship appearances began in the 2010 season, when the Packers defeated the Chicago Bears to reach the Super Bowl, before beating the Pittsburgh Steelers to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Between 2011 and 2018, Brady then piloted the New England Patriots to eight consecutive appearances in the AFC Championship Game, five of which led to a Super Bowl berth. In that period, the Packers made it to the NFC Championship Game twice, losing to the Seattle Seahawks and the Atlanta Falcons in 2014 and 2016, respectively.

In 2019, Brady’s Patriots were eliminated by the Tennessee Titans in the wild card round, but Rodgers kept the run going by guiding Green Bay to the NFC Championship Game against the San Franscisco 49ers. The Packers were beaten 37-20.

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Brady reacts to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defeat to the Los Angeles Rams 30-27 in the NFC divisional round at the weekend.Mike EhrmannAFP

Brady eliminated Rodgers in 2020 NFC Championship Game