Patriots unveil Tom Brady statue before preseason opener

Tom Brady’s statue weighs six tons and rises 17 feet off the ground, from the bottom of the six-sided base — one for each of the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl victories — to the tip of the bronze fist raised in celebration.

For a player who was too slow and immobile coming out of college to merit more than a No. 199 draft pick, that seems just about right.

“When I was drafted, I just hoped to make the team. I never dreamed I’ll be standing here two and a half decades later, made of bronze and frozen in time,” Brady said Friday night at a ceremony to unveil the statue before the Patriots’ exhibition opener against the Washington Commanders. “But actually, it actually feels pretty appropriate given my 40-yard dash time.”

A three-time NFL Most Valuable Player, five-time Super Bowl MVP and seven-time NFL champion — he won one after defecting to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Brady retired in 2023 as the league’s most-decorated player ever, holding records in dozens of categories that include most wins, yards passing, and passing touchdowns — for both the regular season and playoffs.

The Patriots inducted him into their Hall of Fame last year, waiving the usual four-year waiting period, and retired his No. 12. At the ceremony, owner Robert Kraft said Brady would be the first player in franchise history to have a bronze statue outside the stadium.

The work by sculptor lifelong Patriots fan Jeff Buccacio unveiled Friday on the plaza outside the team’s Pro Shop and Hall of Fame features a hexagonal granite base and a 12-foot Brady, honoring Brady’s uniform number and making good on Kraft’s wish for it to be larger than life. It is 17 feet in all, representing the 17 AFC East titles the Patriots won in Brady’s 19 seasons.

In his remarks, Brady pretended to be interrupted by a call from former coach Bill Belichick giving his opinion of the statue.

“He said there’s still room for improvement,” Brady said. “I know that feeling.”

Fans crowded the plaza, lined a nearby stairway and leaned over railings inside the stadium to watch the ceremony, interrupting Brady by chanting his name.

AP Photo/Steven Senne

Among those in the crowd were Brady’s parents and children, current coach Mike Vrabel and former teammates Devin and Jason McCourty, David Andrews, Wes Welker and Brian Hoyer. Several members of the Commanders entourage also came by, including general manager Adam Peters and ex-Patriot and current Washington defensive end Deatrich Wise.

In addition to the self-deprecating comments and the shot at Belichick, Brady said he didn’t think a statue was appropriate until he was “really old,” like Vrabel.

But he saved his best for the rival New York Jets.

“This statue isn’t just for Pats fans. It’ll also give all the Jets fans something to throw their beers at as they leave the stadium every year,” Brady said. “Probably in the second quarter.”