Tom Brady has already been enshrined into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame.
But now the legendary NFL quarterback will be immortalized forever in bronze with the unveiling of a statue at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
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Brady, who is widely regarded as the greatest NFL quarterback of all time, spent 20 years at the Patriots, and turned New England into one of the most iconic franchises in all of sports.
Once selected with the 199th overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, not one person – except perhaps Brady – envisioned that the former Michigan product would go on to lead the Patriots to nine Super Bowl appearances in two decades, in which they would win six titles under head coach Bill Belichick.
But before Brady became the undisputed GOAT quarterback of the NFL, he was just a rookie trying to make the most of an opportunity to see the field, and would do so in the 2000 preseason opener at the annual Hall of Fame Game, which was also Belichick’s first game in charge.
Held at the Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio on July 31, 2000, in front of a 22,000-strong crowd, Brady came on to make his NFL debut with 9:36 left in the fourth quarter.
He completed three of his four pass attempts for 28 yards, as the Patriots shut out the San Francisco 49ers 20-0.
In that contest, though, Brady looked almost unrecognizable, sporting the buzz cut – a far cry from the locks he would go on to sport throughout his career, famously once sportina mullet, and even rocking the ‘boy band’ look.
Now, the 48-year-old is much more clean cut, and gives off the aura of a Hollywood icon, as he continues to be involved in football as both a TV broadcaster with his $375million Fox contract, and as a part owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
25 years on from the buzzcut in Canton, the Patriots begin their preseason campaign in Foxborough against the Washington Commanders on Friday and will honor their legendary QB with a special 12-foot statue set to be unveiled.
Owner Robert Kraft is expected to reveal the statue at Patriot Place Plaza in a 15-to-20 minute ceremony with Brady before the game kicks off, with the 15-time Pro Bowler the first player in franchise history to be enshrined in bronze.
This follows their other gestures to honor the three-time NFL MVP, where they also retired the number 12 jersey, and his induction into the Patriots’ Hall of Fame, where they waived the standard four-year waiting period, with his induction ceremony being the only one to take place at a sold-out Gillette Stadium.
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While the Patriots no longer have Brady under center, they do have an exciting prospect in sophomore Drake Maye, who impressed in his rookie season in 2024, while they have also brought in former Patriots tight end Mike Vrabel as their new head coach.
Speaking on his former team, Brady believes they have some core pieces that could help the team get back to winning ways.
“I think they have a lot of foundational pieces, heading in the right direction, for sure…” Brady exclusively told talkSPORT.
“As a fan, I’m excited to watch to see who steps up, because I appreciate the guys that are willing to do whatever it takes to win.”
Now a minority owner of the Raiders, Brady has ushered in the next chapter of his career, where he has translated his on-field leadership into the front office of another iconic organization in the NFL.
“American football, I have a lot of years invested in the people and the players, and understanding the league, the rules,” Brady told talkSPORT, as he discussed how he approaches his role in team ownership.
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“There are certain things that I’m very suited to do as an American football owner. I only try to provide support and advice where I really feel like I have a strong point of view.”
“I understand that I don’t know everything — there’s a lot of things that I’m not good at. I allow other people to be successful in those areas, and we try to support them just like a great team.
“There’s no player that has strengths in every area. We have to surround each other with a group of people that allow us to all be successful. That’s what makes a great team.”
Brady’s ‘larger than life’ statue unveiling will be streamed live via the Patriots’ digital and social media channels at 6:00pm ET on Friday.
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