The New England Patriots have retired Tom Brady’s No.12 jersey and will build a statue of one of the NFL’s greatest-ever players.
Brady, 46, was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame this week and surprised by the announcement from owner Robert Kraft.
The legendary quarterback won six Super Bowl championships with his beloved side having been the 199th pick of the 2000 draft.
He moved on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 and won his seventh Super Bowl ring, before initially retiring in 2022.
However, Brady reversed his decision and played his 23rd and final campaign, eventually hanging his boots up in 2023.
At his induction, Kraft said: “[The statue] will stand alone in the plaza outside of the Hall of Fame to symbolise his position, not as the greatest in franchise history, but as the greatest in all of NFL history.”
The greatest of all time is officially in @TheHall.
Welcome home, @TomBrady! pic.twitter.com/1903kPRvzP
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) June 13, 2024
Brady is the NFL’s all-time regular-season leader in pass completions with 7,753 as well as passing yards (89,214) and touchdown passes (649).
He won three season MVP awards and was named MVP in five Super Bowls.
The iconic figure was grateful for all the love he received during the Hall of Fame ceremony and said he could not have achieved anything without his coach and team-mates.
He said: “I am eternally grateful. I am Tom Brady. And I am a Patriot.
“Let me make this crystal clear – there is no coach in the world I would rather play for than Bill Belichick.”
Belichick was pivotal in helping Brady’s career take off and the pair are regarded as the most dominant partnership in NFL history.
The coach added: “Thank you for all that you’ve done for us. Thank you for all you’ve done for me.
“And thank you for the example and motto you’ve been for all of us on a daily basis for 20 years. Congratulations.”
