First off, I have to say I really hate the term “elite” when talking about quarterbacks. People get so fired up about who’s elite and who isn’t. It’s not like once you get to being “elite” you stay there. Some players have elite runs in the playoffs then never put it together again.
But Brady is elite, we all agree on that, so I’ll answer this. I could say 2004, because three Super Bowl runs with flawless performances, especially the dismantling of the Steelers says there’s no doubt about how epically good he was.
But he was surrounded by great teams then as well, especially on defense. So let’s say 2006. The cupboards were bare and yet he still threw for 3,529 yards and 24 touchdowns. It was also about that time that the Patriots defense went from a dominant one that could take control of a game, to one that was a little too old and slow. Brady really had to carry the team for the first time in his career, and he got them almost all the way to the Super Bowl with arguably one of the most untalented Patriots teams of the last decade.
When Brady got some real weapons in 2007 it showed just how good he had become. Before that he was a smart quarterback, but after 2006 he was a truly explosive one, and once he had truly great players around him he proved how good he really was. Before 2007, Manning had all the stats and Brady just won games with mistake-free precision. But after that it was clear that Brady was every bit as dangerous as Manning.