Tom Brady addresses attending first Patriots game as retired player

For the first time, quarterback Tom Brady will attend a New England Patriots game as a retired player when he's honored before and during the Week 1 clash against the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium this coming Sunday. 

"A lot of gratitude, a lot of gratitude," Brady said about his feelings regarding his return to New England during Monday's edition of his "Let's Go!" SiriusXM show and podcast, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "I had two decades of incredible, life-altering experiences. I have so many memories from my time there and memories with people there, and I’m creating a new memory with the people there. And to go back to that stadium and bring my kids and my family in a different way, you know, I’ve not been to that stadium in this way ever." 

Brady originally joined the Patriots as overall pick No. 199 of the 2000 NFL Draft and ultimately helped the club claim six Super Bowl championships through the 2019 season. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent in March 2020 and later guided that club to a win at the Patriots in October 2021. 

Brady seemingly confirmed during Monday's show that he's staying retired this time around and that he remains committed to becoming Fox's lead NFL analyst in 2024. 

"I went there as a player, I went there once as a competitor, and now I’m gonna go there as really a fan," Brady added about what he'll experience on the second Sunday of September. "And then I’m gonna be there in the future as a broadcaster. . . . So I love the sport and I love the Patriots, so going up there to see a lot of my friends and family is gonna be really a great experience." 

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick praised Brady on Monday for setting "a standard of daily performance which turned into yearly performance which turned into not only a Hall of Fame career, but probably the best career of all time in the National Football League." Belichick may feel tempted on Sunday to ask Brady to replace starter Mac Jones if Jones struggles against Philadelphia, but the 46-year-old sounds prepared for the next steps of his football journey that will occur off playing fields.