Tom Brady to Be Honored by Patriots at Home Opener: 'I Invited Him Back,' Robert Kraft Says
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"It will be the beginning of many celebrations to honor Tom Brady, and say thank you for what he did for us," said Patriots owner Kraft Thursday
Tom Brady is feeling the love from his former NFL team.
The NFL star, 45, is set to be honored at the New England Patriots' 2023 home opener, Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced Thursday morning.
Speaking on the NFL Network, Kraft, 81, teased he had a "little announcement" for "real football fans."
"The greatest player in the history of the game played right here in Foxboro," he said. "And I'm happy to tell you and your audience that I invited him back to come here and be with us at the opening game and let the fans in New England thank him for the great service he gave us for over 20 years."
Kraft continued, "It will be the beginning of many celebrations to honor Tom Brady, and say thank you for what he did for us, those 20 years playing for the New England Patriots."
"He's very excited to come back and see our fans. It will be a great, great celebration."
The date of the team's home opener will be announced on Thursday night, along with the rest of the league's schedule, according to ESPN.
The Patriots selected Brady in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He won six Super Bowls with the team before his surprise announcement in 2020 that he'd join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Related:Tom Brady Denies Report Suggesting He May Want Out of Fox Broadcasting Contract: 'Fake News'
Brady won his seventh Super Bowl ring with the Florida team in 2020 and was named Super Bowl MVP for the fifth time. With the victory, he became the oldest player to be named Super Bowl MVP and win a Super Bowl as the starting quarterback, at age 43.
His accolades also include 14 Pro Bowl selections.
In February, the legendary quarterback announced his second retirement from the NFL in an emotional video posted on Twitter.
In the video, Brady said that he was retiring "for good", referencing his decision to retire and then unretire over the course of 40 days in 2022.
"I'm retiring. For good. I know the process was a pretty big deal last time, so when I woke up this morning I figured I'd just press record, and let you guys know first," he said.
"It won't be long-winded, you only get one super-emotional retirement essay, and I used mine up last year, so. I...really thank you guys...so much," he continued, while choking up, "to every single one of you, for supporting me, my family, my friends, teammates, my competitors. I could go on forever. There's too many. Thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream."
RELATED VIDEO: Tom Brady Says He's Retiring 'for Good' After 23 Seasons in the NFL in Emotional Video
He concluded the clip, "I wouldn't change a thing. Love you all."
Brady captioned the video, "Truly grateful on this day. Thank you 🙏❤️."
Shortly after announcing he'd retired for good, Brady revealed that he'll be waiting until fall 2024 to start his new gig with Fox Sports as a broadcaster and lead analyst, which he and the network confirmed last May.
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In an interview with FS1's "The Herd" with Colin Cowherd in February, Brady said, "You're on this really crazy treadmill, hamster wheel for a long time, loving the moment and journey. At the same time, it's a daily fight," Brady said of his work and recent retirement.
"I have appreciation for so many people that are so committed every day to showing up, to put their max effort into their life and career," he continued. "For me, I want to be great at what I do — talking, even last week, with the people at Fox Sports and the leadership there allowing me to start my Fox opportunity in 2024, is something that's great for me."
As Brady explained, he's looking to "take some time to really learn" and "become great at what I want to do" before jumping into it.
"It's going to be a great opportunity for me to take some time and really become [great] at my Fox broadcasting job, which I'm really looking forward to, but also catching up on other parts of my life that need some time and energy," the dad-of-three shared.
Brady's deal is reportedly for $375 million over 10 years, per multiple outlets.
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