Tom Brady is now officially a member of the New England Patriots Hall of Fame.
The Patriots inducted Brady into their Hall of Fame on Wednesday night in front of a sold-out crowd in Foxborough — which was taking place opposite of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft presented Brady with his red Hall of Fame jacket to close out the night, and then he officially retired Brady’s No. 12 jersey forever.
“There’s only one iconic number that will represent Tom Brady. And tonight, I promise that it will never be worn again,” Kraft told the crowd at Gillette Stadium as Brady looked on with tears in his eyes. “The number 12 is now officially retired.”
Brady thanked Kraft, longtime coach Bill Belichick and countless others during his emotional speech.
Though the typical induction ceremony takes place during the NFL season, the Patriots moved Brady’s up as he’s going to call games for Fox this fall. The team also announced last season during a halftime ceremony that it was going to waive the normal waiting period for Brady so he could be inducted into their Hall of Fame early. So they landed on June 12, which was a perfect way to honor both his jersey number and the number of Super Bowls he won with the franchise.
Brady spent most of his career with the Patriots, who selected him in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft out of Michigan. Quickly, after taking over for Drew Bledsoe, Brady helped build one of the best dynasties the league has ever seen in New England. He won six Super Bowls over his two decades with the team, reached the game three other times, made the playoffs all but twice as the team’s starter and was the league’s MVP three separate times.
Brady, who won a seventh Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before he retired for good after the 2022 campaign, finished his career throwing for 89,214 yards and 212 touchdowns. He compiled a 219-64 record in New England, and he’s sure to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he’s eligible in 2028.
Randy Moss, Bill Belichick, others honor Tom Brady
There were plenty of big names in attendance to watch Brady receive his red jacket, including Belichick — who has since split with the Patriots. More than 200 of Brady’s former teammates and coaches were in attendance, including Rob Gronkowski, Mike Vrabel, Wes Welker, Julian Edelman and Randy Moss.
Jay-Z opened the night with a performance on stage.
At one point, Moss teared up while receiving a huge standing ovation from Patriots fans inside the stadium in what was an incredible moment for the wide receiver.
Moss spent three full seasons with Brady and the Patriots, and he recorded over 1,000 receiving yards in all of them.
“Y’all know it’s always good to feel this,” he told the crowd while wiping away tears. “I thank y’all.”
Bledsoe, like he did at Brady’s roast earlier this offseason, came with plenty of jokes.
Peyton Manning showed up on stage to surprise Brady at one point.
Belichick, who spent 24 seasons in New England, then took the stage last before Brady received his jacket from Kraft.
“Thank you for all that you’ve done for us. Thank you for all that you’ve done for me,” Belichick said. “Thank you for the example and model that you’ve been for all of us on a daily basis for 20 years. You’re unbelievable. Congratulations.”
As far as Hall of Fame enshrinements go, Kraft and the Patriots pulled out all the stops for Brady. Considering what he’s done for the organization, it seemed fitting.
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
