FOXBOROUGH - In teasing Tom Brady's return to Gillette Sunday, Robert Kraft promised a surprise announcement, something that the Patriots organization had never done. The owner delivered on that promise, waiving the standard four-year waiting period for team Hall of Famers and saying that Brady would be inducted next year inside Gillette Stadium, another thing the franchise has never done before.
The celebration will take place on 6/12/24, an ode to the number of titles the Patriots won with Brady at quarterback and, of course, his jersey number.
Kraft kept his halftime speech brief, noting that the 14 minutes between the 2nd and 3rd quarters weren't nearly enough to honor Brady with all he means to the organization and the region. The brevity also allowed Brady to speak directly to the fans, not through some Instagram post, but where they could see and, in some sense, feel what this return meant to him.
"Nobody 23 years ago would imagine that this journey would bring us here today," Brady told the adoring crowd, who stood the entire time. He mentioned the number of titles the Patriots won and their shared victories.
He also proved to be the King of a significant moment again, saying, "One thing I am sure of, and that will never change, is that I am a Patriot for life."
That drew a raucous ovation from the 65,000 in the stadium and led to them breaking out a chant of "Brady! Brady! Brady!"
As he concluded his remarks, Brady, who had his three children on stage with him throughout, spoke from the heart.
"Thank you guys for an incredible day," he said. "Thank you to my teammates, some of whom I see right here (they were to his left, on the field), my family, my friends - my second family (gestures to the Krafts) - and all of you guys for making it another day in this stadium I'll never forget. I love you guys so much, and I'll see you next summer."
As Brady left the stage, he went over to those former teammates, sharing embraces with many, including Ty Law, Malcolm Butler, and Darrelle Revis. He even had one, Tully Banta-Cain (wearing his own throwback jersey), pull him in for a selfie.
It's a lovely tribute, but it will undoubtedly pale compared to the one he'll get in June. What other surprises will the Krafts have in store for Brady? Can't hide a statue, but the retirement of jersey number 12 would be a fitting tribute to a man who gave us all so much.