No other player will ever wear the number 12 for the Patriots again.
Owner Robert Kraft made the announcement during Brady’s star-studded Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday night.
“There is only one iconic number that represents Tom Brady,” Kraft said. “Tonight, No. 12 is officially retired, and I promise you it will never be worn again.”
The Gillette Stadium crowd Expected to exceed 55,000As Brady watched with tears in his eyes, the crowd erupted in applause.
Kraft also bestowed another honor on Brady, telling the team that they had awarded a local sculptor “Larger than life bronze statueThe legendary quarterback “.”
“Tom’s figure will be 12 feet tall and will be unveiled during the ’24 season,” Kraft added.
“The statue will stand alone outside the Hall of Fame Memorial Plaza and will symbolize his status as the greatest player not only in franchise history but in NFL history.”
Brady, who retires from the NFL after the 2022 season, spent the first 20 seasons of his career in New England and built one of the greatest careers in sports history.
The 46-year-old won six of his seven Super Bowls with the Patriots and set nearly every offensive record imaginable for a quarterback.
With the Patriots, Brady rushed for 74,571 yards and 541 touchdowns, the most by a single team in league history. According to ESPN:.
Brady has won 135 games and scored 304 touchdowns at Gillette Stadium, including the postseason, which are records for a quarterback at a single stadium.
Brady also appeared in a record nine Super Bowls with longtime head coach Bill Belichick, but lost to the Giants in 2007 and 2012.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for us. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. And thank you for being an example for 20 years,” Belichick said during the event.
Brady gave a speech shortly afterwards, wearing a red Patriots Hall of Fame sports jacket, returning the same sentiment to his former head coach.
“Coach Belichick, thank you for working tirelessly to make me the best I can be,” Brady said. “That’s not me, that’s not you. That’s our own fault.”
During his emotional speech, Brady thanked many of his former teammates and family members, but his biggest tribute was to Kraft.
“In 2000, I was drafted as a raw, 23-year-old kid,” Brady said, “and I left 20 years later as a much older, 43-year-old kid. But during that time, I was adopted by a family who loved me like a son, and they accepted me as their own.”
Brady has remained active in football since his retirement, with a bid to acquire ownership of the Raiders and is preparing to join Fox Broadcasting Corporation ahead of next season.
But despite that, he ended his speech with a clear statement about his accomplishments in the NFL.
“I’m Tom Brady and I’m a patriot,” he said.
