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 in front of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft presented Brady with his red Hall of Fame jacket to close out the night, and then officially retired Brady’s No. 12 jersey for good.
“There is only one iconic number that will represent Tom Brady. And tonight, I promise I will never wear it 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, coach Bill Belichick and many others during his emotional speech.
Although the typical induction ceremony takes place during the NFL season, the Patriots brought up Brady since he will call games for Fox this fall. The team also announced last season during a halftime ceremony that he was waiving the normal waiting period for Brady so he could be inducted into its 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 replacing Drew Bledsoe, Brady helped build one of the best dynasties the league has ever seen in New England. He won six Super Bowls during his two decades with the team, made it to the game three more times, made the playoffs nearly twice as the team’s starter and was the league’s MVP on three separate occasions.
Brady, who won a seventh Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before retiring 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 will surely be a first-time Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible in 2028.
Randy Moss, Bill Belichick and others honor Tom Brady
There were plenty of big names in attendance to see Brady receive his red jacket, including Belichick, who has since parted ways with the Patriots. More than 200 of Brady’s former teammates and coaches attended, including Rob Gronkwoski, Mike Vrabel, Wes Welker, Julian Edelman and Randy Moss.
Jay-Z opened the night with a performance on stage.
At one point, Moss cried while receiving a 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, recording over 1,000 receiving yards in all of them.
“Everyone knows it’s always good to feel this,” she told the crowd as she wiped away tears. “I thank you all.”
Bledsoe, like he did at Brady’s roast earlier this offseason, came with plenty of jokes.
Peyton Manning appeared on stage to surprise Brady at one point.
Belichick, who spent 24 seasons in New England, took the stage last before Brady received his jacket from Kraft.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for us. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me,” Belichick said. “Thank you for the example and role model you have been for all of us every day for 20 years. You are incredible. Congratulations.”
As far as Hall of Fame accolades go, Kraft and the Patriots went all out for Brady. Considering what he’s done for the organization, he seemed appropriate.
