WATCH: New England Patriots to give Tom Brady a fitting tribute upon homecoming
Tom Brady's return to Foxborough as a member of the defending Super Bowl champions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has arguably been one of the most talked-about regular-season matchups in quite some time.
Just this week alone, Brady's time as a Patriots player alongside former head coach Bill Belichick has been analyzed from all angles (although a good portion of those angles have been negative).
With scathing words from close Brady confidants such as Tom Brady, Sr., and trainer Alex Guerrero, it's easy to see why even the New England Patriots organization might be hesitant to even acknowledge Tom Brady before or during the game.
However, according to NFL analyst Ian Rapoport, the Patriots will do what most consider to be the right thing and pay tribute to number twelve before the game begins.
The #Patriots will do what’s right, offering a tribute to #Bucs QB Tom Brady before tonight’s game. But before that happens, a primer on how we even got here: nfl.com/news/contract-…
Tom Brady to receive rightful tribute before the game
The news of the New England Patriots giving Tom Brady a tribute before the game may come as a shock to many. By now, most people across the league are familiar with Bill Belichick's mantra of doing things "the Patriot way." This consists of staying quiet, avoiding making a huge deal about anything other than the game, and most importantly, doing your job.
When Patriots players are faced with questions from the media, they have often been taught (directly or indirectly) to deflect on things and topics that are outside the realm of their upcoming game. Naturally, the trending topic this week has been about Brady's return as well as an upcoming book written by American sportswriter Seth Wickersham titled "It's Better to be Feared: The New England Patriots Dynasty and the Pursuit of Greatness."
Among the excerpts that have been detailed from the book, many tell of the often-times frosty relationship between Brady and Belichick. From rumored missed meetings to Brady's downright insisting that his time in New England was over, the book has been a darling for sportswriters and media covering the primetime matchup this weekend.
During a press conference for the Patriots earlier in the week, even the typically stoic Belichick joked to the media about the events surrounding the upcoming game.
As he approached the podium to speak to the media days ago, here is what he had to say:
"What's going on? Been any stories this week?"
For those that know coach Belichick, this is as animated as he may get for any topic outside of the actual game.
They used Adele to tease Tom Brady's return vs. the Patriots 😂
https://t.co/QAt7kyLK4u
Tonight's matchup promises to be filled with action, intensity, and drama which now starts before the game with a well-anticipated homecoming tribute. Who knows, maybe we will even get to see Brady and Belichick share a laugh or two on the field prior to game-time.