The Patriots unveiled a 17-foot statue of former quarterback Tom Brady at the north end of Gillette Stadium before the preseason opener against the Washington Commanders.
The Patriots unveiled a 17-foot statue of former quarterback Tom Brady at the north end of Gillette Stadium before the preseason opener against the Washington Commanders.Barry Chin/Globe Staff
FOXBOROUGH — From the moment the black curtain was lifted to reveal Tom Brady’s 17-foot statue outside Gillette Stadium, the real-life Brady could not stop gazing in awe.
In between every line in his speech, every hug with family and ex-teammates, and every salute to the fans, Brady returned to look up at the bronze portrait of himself, the figure’s right fist raised in triumph and his left holding a helmet by his side.
The statue was unveiled Friday at Gillette Stadium ahead of the Patriots’ preseason game against the Commanders, and stands all alone in the Patriot Place Plaza, adjacent to the Patriots Hall of Fame.
Brady was doused with cheers from the moment he emerged in Foxborough, and those in attendance included Brady’s family, numerous former teammates, and thousands of fans who filled every ramp, staircase, and window to get a glimpse of the legendary quarterback.
“I’m humbled and honored to have been part of this organization for 20 incredible years,” Brady said. “You guys shaped my life and the life of my family, and for that, I’m forever grateful. I hope I’ve given to you as much as you have given to me.”
The statue was designed by New England native Jeff Buccacio, and took over 20,000 man hours to craft and weighs 12,300 pounds. Brady’s stoic, fierce pose is not meant to capture any one moment, but rather, “a collection of Tom Brady’s iconic victory celebrations,” the Patriots said in a release.
Former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady mimics the pose of the bronze statue unveiled Friday in Patriot Place Plaza.
Former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady mimics the pose of the bronze statue unveiled Friday in Patriot Place Plaza.Barry Chin/Globe Staff
Various symbolic numbers from Brady’s career are weaved into the design: The statue’s overall height is 17 feet, symbolizing his 17 AFC East titles. The figure of Brady is 12-feet tall, symbolizing his No. 12. And the base is in the shape of a hexagon, symbolizing his six Super Bowl titles with the Patriots.
Both Brady and Kraft gave speeches, and Brady’s speech was filled with both gratitude and self-deprecating humor.
“Seeing myself as a statue isn’t something I could have imagined growing up when I was drafted. I just hoped to make the team,” Brady said. “I never dreamed I’d be standing here two and a half decades later, made of bronze and frozen in time. It actually feels pretty appropriate given my 40-yard dash time.”
The statue was the latest in the Patriots’ numerous efforts to commemorate Brady, the face of the Patriots’ two-decade dynasty and widely considered the greatest player in NFL history, since his retirement following the 2022 season.
First, Brady was honored in a special halftime ceremony during the Patriots’ home opener in September 2023. Then, last June ,he was indicuted into the Patriots Hall of Fame and had his number retired in front of 60,000 fans at Gillette, after Kraft waived the franchise’s four-year waiting period.
It was at Brady’s induction ceremony that Kraft announced he had also commissioned a “larger-than-life bronze statue to perpetuate the legendary legacy of the great Tom Brady.”
The Patriots initially planned to unveil the statue before a home game last season, but Brady never had a Patriots game on his national broadcast schedule with Fox Sports. As a result, the statue spent a year in a Foxborough storage facility, and was kept in hiding until a date that Brady was guaranteed to be available.
“To the Kraft family, I can’t say thank you enough for believing in me from the very beginning,” Brady said. “You didn’t just give me a place to play football. You gave me a home, a second family with the highest possible standards of excellence.”
Former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady lets loose with his famous, “Let’s Go” call during the unveiling of a statue in his honor.
Former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady lets loose with his famous, “Let’s Go” call during the unveiling of a statue in his honor.Barry Chin/Globe Staff
In the years since Brady left for Tampa Bay following the 2019 season, New England has parted with coach Bill Belichick, passed through numerous quarterbacks, and no longer rosters any players who shared a locker room with Brady.
But in the thousands of fans donning their No. 12 jerseys on Friday — many who showed up as early as noon to get good positioning — his enduring and singular relevance was clear.
“It’s hard to overstate what Tom accomplished. He just didn’t rewrite the record books, he practically authored a new volume,” Kraft said. “Since Tom’s departure, we’ve been reminded just how difficult it is to win consistently in the NFL, but during his time here, winning didn’t just become the expectation. It became the norm.”
Brady wrapped up the speech by thanking fans who supported him throughout his career, and the future fans who will pass by the statue on their way into Gillette Stadium. He even worked in a dig at Jets.
“In the end, this statue isn’t just for Pats fans,” Brady said. “It’ll also give all the Jets fans something to throw their beers at as they leave the stadium every year, probably in the second quarter.”
And as Brady’s legacy endures for decades to come, there’s now a physical monument to match the heights of his success.
“People may forget what’s said tonight,” Kraft said. “But may this statue forever remind us what Tom Brady did and how he made us all feel.”
Tom Brady comes back to Gillette Stadium for the unveiling of this statue before the New England Patriots preseason game versus the Washington Commanders.
Matty Wasserman can be reached at matty.wasserman@globe.com. Follow him @Matty_Wasserman.