The Tom Brady statue was supposed to be standing outside Gillette Stadium by now. The New England Patriots planned an early-season reveal, yet with just four home games left on the schedule, the franchise still hasn’t announced a ceremonial unveiling.
“Tom’s figure will stand 12-foot tall, and be unveiled during this ’24 season,” Robert Kraft said last June. “It will stand alone in the plaza outside of the Hall of Fame to symbolize his position, not as the greatest in franchise history, but the greatest in all of NFL history.”
So, what’s going on? A new report details when the statue will be revealed and the reasons for delays.
Tom Brady Statue No Longer Expected This Season
In September, the Patriots walled off an area seemingly intended to house the Brady statue. The site featured a hexagonal base with six lights, presumably a nod to the six Super Bowls Brady won with the Patriots.
Take a look:
There's a recently renovated area in front of Gillette Stadium that's now walled off and has lights installed in the ground. Future Tom Brady statue site? pic.twitter.com/AkBv7v9KIl
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) September 12, 2024
Those photos were taken days before New England’s home opener against the Seattle Seahawks. And, on Sunday, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported the Patriots hoped to reveal the Brady statue either that weekend or before its Week 5 home game against the Miami Dolphins.
“The ideal scenario was for Brady to be on hand as part of his Fox broadcast duties for the Patriots’ 2024 home opener,” Reiss wrote. ” … That was the weekend the Patriots welcomed back members of the 2014 team that defeated the Seahawks in celebration of the 10-year anniversary of their Super Bowl XLIX championship. Unfortunately, Fox had Brady assigned to the Cowboys-Saints game for Week 2 instead.
“The next Patriots home game was also broadcast on Fox in Week 5 against Miami, but any chance Fox’s ‘A team’ would be assigned that game were all but eliminated in Week 2 when Tua Tagovailoa was sidelined with a concussion.”
Now, according to Reiss, fans won’t be able to see the Brady statue until next year.
“So, given that Brady is not expected to be in Foxboro this season, according to a source familiar with Brady’s schedule, plans have now shifted to find a date in 2025 that best fits to properly honor him,” Reiss wrote.
Reiss didn’t clarify whether the Patriots will reveal the statue sometime during the offseason or wait for a home game in 2025. However, it’s fair to assume the Krafts, who honored Brady during a soldout event last June, would prefer to wait for a game-day setting.
With that in mind, let’s look at New England’s opponents for next season.
Who Are Patriots’ Home and Road Opponents in 2025?
The Patriots’ full list of 2025 opponents won’t be finalized until the end of the regular season. And we won’t learn New England’s full schedule, including broadcast details, until sometime next spring.
However, most of the Patriots’ home and road opponents are already set.
HOME
- Atlanta Falcons
- Buffalo Bills
- New York Jets
- Miami Dolphins
- Carolina Panthers
- Cleveland Browns
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- AFC West opponent TBD
- NFC East opponent TBD
AWAY
- Buffalo Bills
- New York Jets
- Miami Dolphins
- Baltimore Ravens
- Cincinnati Bengals
- New Orleans Saints
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- AFC South opponent TBD
For the TBD opponents, the Patriots will play the team that finishes in the same place in their division as New England does in the AFC East. And, considering the Patriots likely will finish in either third or last place this season, they could land AFC West and NFC East opponents with minimal national intrigue.
Fox won’t send Brady to Foxboro unless it’s for a game with above-average appeal. At this point, the Bills, Falcons, and Steelers are the only home opponents who could fit the bill.