FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Tom Brady spent the past year-plus giving Patriots fans reasons to wonder where he stood with the franchise that made him a legend. On Sunday, though, he gave them something else entirely: a return to Foxborough that felt like a real homecoming.
Brady was back at Gillette Stadium for Fox’s broadcast of Patriots vs. Packers, his fifth trip to Foxborough since leaving for the Buccaneers in 2020.
But the weekend started a day earlier, and that made all the difference. Rather than skipping town and sending in a video message, Brady showed up in person on Saturday for Rob Gronkowski’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction.
He came dressed for the occasion in a red jacket of his own and sat in the crowd to celebrate the tight end who made his job easier for more than a decade.
“I couldn’t miss it,” he told Gronkowski in a video posted by the Patriots on social media.
The reception was exactly what you’d expect in a plaza that features a 12-foot bronze statue of Brady with his fist raised. When he was introduced as “the most accomplished player in NFL history,” the cheers rolled in. Brady shook hands and embraced Patriots president Jonathan Kraft, then kept waving to fans with both hands and mouthing, “Hi guys,” over and over.
He looked moved by it all, and he showed plenty of emotion as Gronkowski’s highlights played during the ceremony.
One longtime Patriots fan in the parking lot said Brady’s decision to be there mattered.
“I think that was a pretty big deal, him being here yesterday,” the fan said. “Because like Gronk said, he could have been anywhere in the world and he decided to be here. And it’s obvious that they’re pretty tight, him, Jules [Julian Edelman], ’Dola [Danny Amendola], all of them.”
That same fan also pointed to the one moment that still bothered him: Brady missing the Patriots’ Week 5 matchup against the Raiders, when the team honored Adam Vinatieri and New England’s 2001 Super Bowl-winning team.
“It did kind of rub me the wrong way a little bit when it came to the Raiders week,” he explained. “I understand that he’s got money in the Raiders and all of that, but he is who he is because of this organization. ... I’ll be a Brady fan the rest of my life, but man do I really wish he was blue, red and white all the way through.”
By Sunday, Brady was back on the field with the Fox broadcast crew before calling what turned into a 45-27 Packers win over the Patriots. As always, he walked the field before kickoff, but this time the moment carried extra weight. He greeted former teammates, including three-time Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Troy Brown, and also met current Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, the man now in the job Brady held for more than 20 years.
The organization also marked the 10-year anniversary of the Patriots’ 28-3 comeback over the Falcons in Super Bowl LI before kickoff. Brady didn’t make it down to the field because kickoff was only minutes away, but he appeared inside the Fox booth on the stadium jumbotron and waved again to the crowd, this time mouthing “Thank you” as fans rose to their feet.
After halftime, Burkhardt pointed out how special it was to see Brady back in Foxborough.
“It sure is,” Brady responded before opening up about the weekend.
“Oh man, nostalgic,” he continued. “And to see my old teammates yesterday, and to honor Gronk.
I know Mr. [Robert] Kraft’s at home, I just want to say hi to RKK.
I know he’s watching. … I just can’t thank everyone enough for the love, the support over 20 years here.
I feel like I’m the luckiest man alive to play for this unbelievable community. … I had the most amazing teammates and coaches every step of the way and we tried to take the field and do things the right way.
A lot of humility, a lot of self-awareness, a lot of great, clutch performances by my teammates. That’s why they hang those banners.
They can never be defended. They’re gonna hang up there forever.”
For a weekend, Brady didn’t feel distant from the Patriots at all. He showed up, honored his old teammates, embraced the crowd and gave New England a version of himself that felt familiar again.
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