The season opener is always a big game and even more so for the 2023 Patriots as Bill Belichick, Mac Jones and Co. host the defending NFC Champion Eagles Sunday evening at Gillette Stadium.
Philly will be looking to jumpstart another potential Super Bowl-worthy season with Jalen Hurts leading one of the most talented all around rosters in the NFL. And New England will be trying to get back to contender status after last fall’s disappointments.
But Sunday’s kickoff will include much more than the typical excitement surrounding a hopeful season opener as the Patriots and their fans will welcome Tom Brady back to Foxborough for the first time since his retirement, honoring the franchise legend and QB GOAT for his two decades of contributions.
While Patriot Nation is hyped for its opportunity to honor its all-time favorite, Brady is likewise looking forward to the return to what was home to so much of his career glory, as he expressed in the first episode of the new season of his “Let’s Go!” podcast with Jim Gray and Larry Fitzgerald on SiriusXM.
“Oh, a lot of gratitude, a lot of gratitude,” Brady said of his return. “I had two decades of incredible life altering experiences. I have so many memories from my time there and memories with people there, and I'm creating a new memory with the people there. And to go back to that stadium and bring my kids and my family in a different way, you know, I've not been to that stadium in this way ever. I went there as a player, I went there once as a competitor and now I'm gonna go there as really a fan.
“I love the sport and I love the Patriots, so going up there to see a lot of my friends and family is gonna be really a great experience.”
As Brady transitions into his post-playing career, which is set to include work as a broadcaster for FOX beginning in 2024, he’s traveling and spending time with his family.
He admits with a laugh, though, “Nothing's ever gonna be like running out in front of 70,000 people screaming, ’Let's f-ing go!’ And I mean, that chapter is unbelievable. And I've done it longer than anyone else, and I had so much fun.”
For the first time in more than three decades Brady is no longer a football player. He’s not a star high school, college or NFL QB. He’s a fan. And father working with his teenage son who “wants to be a tight end like Gronk.”
“So I'm out there in the backyard throwing around last night, my daughter's got me kicking the soccer ball. And [I’m] really enjoying this new experience. And there's so much to life that is here to live,” Brady said. “And I was very blessed to play for as long as I did, and I loved it. And now I get to see other guys do it, and I also get to see football from a different perspective. I'll be on Fox next year, so I have a chance to really sit back and watch and learn a different career. I'll be able to really watch this year with kind of a different eye. You know, I used to watch it from the lens of a quarterback. Now I see it more from maybe broadcasting, but also as a fan, and then also still from a quarterback. So maybe a few different perspectives to learn, which will be a really fun thing.”
But even as a fan and would-be broadcaster in New England Brady will always be the GOAT, the foundation of so much organizational and regional glory. Sunday evening, even if just for a few minutes, those glory days will return to Gillette Stadium.
“I've had so many people text me and say that they're excited to see me come back, so it'll be really a special reunion,” Brady concluded.
Indeed.
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