Tom Brady jersey retirement: Patriots send No. 12 to rafters at QB's New England Hall of Fame ceremony

Bryan Murphy

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Tom Brady jersey retirement: Patriots send No. 12 to rafters at QB's New England Hall of Fame ceremony image

Tom Brady doesn't need a ceremony to certify his status as a Patriots legend. But New England is giving him one anyway. 

The seven-time Super Bowl champion and future Hall of Famer was honored in Foxborough on Wednesday night as Brady became the latest member to be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

It was a packed house at Gillette Stadium, as Brady fanatics flocked to the house he dominated over the span of two decades. He helped bring not only the first franchise its first Super Bowl ring, but Brady ended his time in New England with six championships earned for the club. 

His career may have ended in Tampa Bay with the Buccaneers, but Brady will forever be synonymous with New England. Despite the breakup, the love and passion that the region has for him was on full display at the ceremony. 

Brady won't be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame until 2028. Canton requires a certain amount of time to pass before enshrining the game's greatest players. There typically is a four-year waiting period for the Patriots Hall of Fame, but not everyone is Tom Brady.

New England owner Robert Kraft made an exception for the champion, so a Patriots jacket will have to do for now before Brady's bust finds its way to Ohio. 

Here are the best moments from Brady's Patriots Hall of Fame ceremony. 

MORE: When will Tom Brady broadcast NFL games for Fox?

Patriots retire Tom Brady's No. 12

Kraft's turn at the podium was filled with plenty of heartwarming messages towards Brady. However, he delivered perhaps the biggest surprise of the night towards the end. 

Brady becomes the eighth player in franchise history to have his number retired, as Kraft announced the quarterback's No. 12 will never be worn again. It's the first number to be retired by the organization in 24 years. 

Number 12, enshrined FOREVER. pic.twitter.com/xle1IkVC1r

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) June 13, 2024

In addition, New England will unveil a statue outside of Gillette Stadium for Brady this fall. It is the first statue of a former Patriots player at the venue. 

Best moments from Tom Brady's Patriots Hall of Fame ceremony

Before Brady appeared at his ceremony, the energy in Foxborough was buzzing. A crowd of over 60,000 people was packed into Gillette Stadium to honor the greatest player to play in the stadium. 

During Brady's playing days, whenever the crowd at Gillette Stadium heard Jay-Z's smash hit, "Public Service Announcement," it was followed by the quarterback sprinting onto the field, letting out his patented, "Let's go!" 

MORE: Explaining Tom Brady contract with Fox

It's only fitting that the same tune was blasting as he came onto the stage for his Patriots Hall of Fame ceremony. 

pic.twitter.com/71gsYFbUsA https://t.co/8woZ7YYeCP

— Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) June 12, 2024

When discussing Brady's career, it's impossible not to talk about the Manning brothers. From his countless head-to-head matchups against Peyton when he was on the Colts and the Broncos, to his two Super Bowls against Eli, the pair of quarterback siblings are synonymous with Brady — even if that brings back bad memories for Patriots fans. 

A video was shown of current and former players from around the league congratulating Brady on his Hall of Fame induction in New England. Eli was one of those featured in the clip, and the reaction from the crowd was exactly what was expected — boos. 

Peyton was absent from the video, but for good reason. He was a surprise guest at the ceremony, showing up to Gillette Stadium in person to sit down with Brady and host Mike Tirico to tell stories about playing against the Patriots star. 

After the sit down with Manning, it's a meeting of quarterbacks together on stage. Three of Brady's former QB partners joined him and Tirico, as Drew Bledsoe, Matt Cassel and Brian Joyer were brought out to share their memories. In addition, former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels joined the crew on stage. 

Of course, it wouldn't be a Bledsoe showing without some jabs at the man that stole his job in New England. 

A number of Brady's former offensive weapons made appearances alongside the great. A group consisting of Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski, Randy Moss and Julian Edelman gave Brady his much-deserved flowers as well. 

While there was a plethora of applause for Brady and guests throughout the evening, none compared to the reception that former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick received. The longtime boss of New England made his return to Foxborough for the first time since he and the team elected to part ways this offseason. 

Belichick could hardly start his speech due to the noise from the crowd, who gave him a much-deserved ovation that lasted a couple of minutes. 

The former Patriots head coach had plenty of praise to pile on for Brady, but it wasn't without a joke or two. 

The night ended with his official induction into the Hall of Fame. Brady put on the red jacket, signifying his place among New England's elite history. 

An emotional Brady took the podium to finally give his thanks to all of his former coaches, players, staff members, friends, family members and, of course, the fans.  

Bryan Murphy

Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy joined The Sporting News in 2022 as the NHL/Canada content producer. Previously he worked for NBC Sports on their national news desk reporting on breaking news for the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL, in addition to covering the 2020 and 2022 Olympic Games. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, he spent time in college as a beat reporter covering the men’s ice hockey team.