Patriots Daily: Happy Tom Brady Day

My oldest daughter once joked, “What do you get the guy who has it all?” She was discussing potential birthday gifts for me. She was not being sincere. I suggested getting a crosswalk I got added in our neighborhood named after me. “The Dan Kelley Crosswalk” has a nice ring to it. But she pointed out that crosswalks are generally not named after people. I settled for socks. However, the New England Patriots face that dilemma more literally today when they attempt to honor Tom Brady.

Tom Brady won seven Super Bowls and five Super Bowl MVP Awards. He won three NFL MVP Awards and was named to 15 Pro Bowl teams. He is the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, wins for starting quarterback, Super Bowl titles, and many other categories. As far as football accolades are concerned, Brady is close to being “the guy who has it all.” But the New England Patriots are celebrating the legendary quarterback tonight. What can they give him that he doesn’t already have?

The one confirmed aspect of tonight’s ceremony is that Tom Brady will be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Beyond that, there is only speculation. Will New England retire No. 12 in Brady’s honor? Is there a statue to be unveiled in his honor? A street named in his honor? Stay tuned.

What to Expect From Tom Brady’s Hall of Fame Ceremony

Aside from Tom Brady being inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame, several guests expected to make the night extra special. Comedian and lifelong New England Patriots fan Bill Burr will kick off the evening. There are also reportedly going to be surprise musical guests. Jay-Z is one performer rumored to be performing, but nothing has been confirmed.

There will also be New England Patriots in the stadium tonight. Teammates from Brady’s first season in New England (Drew Bledsoe, Ty Law, Willie McGinest, etc) through to his last (Devin McCourty, Matthew Slater, and more).

Bill Belichick reportedly will be in attendance. The ovation from the crowd will be interesting for the former head coach. Have the assume he will receive a rousing ovation, despite his firing after the 2023 season and negative depiction in “The Dynasty” series.

For those who won’t be in attendance, the ceremony, including the red carpet, can be seen on all New England Patriots social media platforms beginning at 5:30 pm.

Also in today’s Patriots Daily:

Daily Patriots Fun Fact

Tom Brady played for the New England Patriots from 2000 to 2019. During his 20-year career in Foxboro, Brady played in 323 games, including postseason. Ten players played at least 150 games for New England during those years:

326 Tom Brady
232 Stephen Gostkowski
197 Matthew Slater
179 Vince Wilfork
178 Devin McCourty
175 Matt Light
169 Kevin Faulk
163 Patrick Chung
155 Lonie Paxton
150 Julian Edelman

Post of the Day

This Day in Sports Clips shows Mike Tirico and Mel Kiper Jr. breaking down the New England Patriots selection of Tom Brady at No. 199 overall in Round 6 of the 2000 NFL Draft:

April 16, 2000: The Patriots select @TomBrady in the 6th Round (199th overall pick) of the NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/Pmq71AovFz

— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) April 16, 2021

New England Patriots

Patriots Football Now – New England’s mandatory minicamp had solid attendance but had six absences. Could 2023 team MVP Jahlani Tavai turn into a contract dispute? When will Cole Strange and Kendrick Bourne be ready to go? Why is Mike Onwenu taking snaps at right guard? Coach Jerod Mayo seems to have shifted from believing Onwenu will “lock down” the right tackle spot to stating the best five offensive linemen will play.

Patriots Football Now – Would the New England Patriots be better off trying to make a playoff push in 2024 or setting themselves up for a high draft pick in 2025? According to ESPN projections, the Patriots are favored to land the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. What could they get in a package for trading such a pick? Or would New England stay put and target an offensive tackle or another difference-maker?

NFL News

NFL.com – New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers seems to attract attention and drama in whatever he does. Yesterday the issue was what Rodgers was not doing. Specifically, Rodgers did not attend the start of the Jets mandatory minicamp. New York head coach Robert Saleh claims there’s ‘no issue’ with Rodgers’ absence.

CBS Sports – No position in any sport is more important than quarterback. QB play often determines whether a team experiences success or failure. CBS Sports looks at which quarterbacks are poised to improve or regress in 2024. The rookie quarterbacks (including New England’s Drake Maye) are exempt from the list due to no previous NFL experience.

Boston Bruins

Boston Hockey Now – Mick Colageo looks at the NHL schedule. The current format is set up so that every team visits every other city at least once. This means all NHL fans will have a chance to see players like Connor McDavid in person. Due to the NHL’s expansion this century, teams have lost the ability to face their rivals more frequently. As a result, the Boston Bruins won’t see more of the Montreal Canadiens.

PFN+

Subscribe here or on Boston Hockey Now to get a subscription to both sites. Subscribers get bonus coverage such as NFL Draft scouting reports and weekly NFL Power Rankings. It also provides a completely ad-free experience on the sites.

Use code KELLEY10 and get $10 off a yearly subscription. New England Patriots and Boston Bruins coverage with no ads and bonus content for less than 8¢ a day!