While New England Patriots fans likely won't get to see second-year quarterback Drake Maye play in the preseason opener this week, they will be present for the unveiling of the statue for a franchise legend. The Patriots are planning to unveil to fans a bronze statue of seven-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady on Friday, Aug. 8, before New England's first exhibition matchup against the Washington Commanders.
Brady won six Super Bowls with the Patriots, along with five Super Bowl MVPs and three league MVPs, making him arguably the greatest quarterback of all time. He also led the Patriots to nine AFC Championships and 17 AFC East division titles.
Brady is the NFL All-Time leader in wins, Pro Bowl selections, Super Bowl MVP awards, passing yards, completions, attempts, and passing touchdowns. His accomplishments have made him, without a doubt, a first ballot NFL Hall of Famer, as he is eligible to be inducted in 2028.
Tom Brady's statue is long overdue in New England
The initial plan for the unveiling of the statue was during the 2024 season, when Brady was scheduled to broadcast a Patriots game on FOX. The game was Week 5 when the Patriots were playing host to the Miami Dolphins. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in Week 2, which caused FOX to send the broadcast crew to a different game.
While being the color commentator of the NFL on FOX's No. 1 broadcast crew with play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt and sideline reporter Erin Andrews, Brady is also the minority owner for the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Patriots are scheduled to open the 2025 season at home against the Raiders. While this would have been a perfect time for the Patriots to unveil the statue, Brady is not allowed to call Raiders games for FOX as a minority owner of the franchise.
What to expect with the Tom Brady statue unveiling
Both Brady and Patriots owner Robert Kraft are expected to speak at the ceremony for the statue reveal hours before New England kicks off their preseason opener against the Commanders. There will also undoubtedly be a ton of fanfare as the quarterback most fans in New England would ardently call the GOAT finally gets immortalized in Foxboro.
The unveiling will truly be a memorable moment for generations of Patriots fans who watched Brady lead New England to great success over his 20 seasons with the franchise.