That in and of itself is nothing special.

What makes it special is that it is Brady’s 12th SI cover, tying his childhood idol, Joe Montana, for the most of any NFL player in the magazine’s long history. Given where Brady is in his career, it is a record he will surely break sooner rather than later.

The cover story in question: “Serious Fun: Tom Brady and the Pats Take Care of Business (As Usual),” recaps week one of the NFL season, and also explores “the ongoing clash between the NFL’s two distinct, opposing forces: quiet versus loud, buttoned-down versus gaudy.”

Think Chad Ochocinco and Rex Ryan.

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