New England Patriots

Bill Belichick reportedly expected to attend Tom Brady’s Hall of Fame Ceremony

Bill Belichick is expected to be one of many high-profile guests on hand for Wednesday's event.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, left, celebrates with head coach Bill Belichick after defeating the Miami Dolphins 41-13 in an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014, in Foxborough, Mass. Six-time NFL champion Bill Belichick has agreed to part ways as the coach of the New England Patriots on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, bringing an end to his 24-year tenure as the architect of the most decorated dynasty of the league’s Super Bowl era, a source told the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because it has not yet been announced.
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will reportedly share a stage at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

By Conor Ryan

2 minutes to read

Robert Kraft promised last week that Tom Brady’s anticipated Hall of Fame ceremony at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday will have “outstanding, surprise guests.”

While it’s been reported that “hundreds” of Brady’s former Patriots teammates will be in attendance for Brady’s big day, his longtime coach in New England, Bill Belichick, is also reportedly expected to be on hand for Wednesday’s event.

Chad Graff of The Athletic reported on Monday that Belichick is expected to be one of the many high-profile guests attending Brady’s ceremony — with the former New England head coach at least temporarily mending fences with the Patriots organization after parting ways with the team in January.

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This would mark Belichick’s first appearance back at Gillette Stadium since his exit at the end of the 2023 season.  

“The team hasn’t divulged the exact guest list, but all of the major figures are expected to be there, including (Rob) Gronkowski, (Mike) Vrabel, (Wes) Welker, Julian Edelman and Randy Moss,” Graff wrote.

Graff added in his story that Wednesday’s event — hosted by NBC’s Mike Tirico and slated for a 7 p.m. start — is expected to last 2 1/2 hours and will follow a similar format as other Patriots Hall of Fame ceremonies, just on a much larger scale. 

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“The team is expected to have a panel of former teammates telling stories about Brady, his career and their time together,” Graff wrote. “Belichick, too, will presumably take the mic and share some tales of his own. Then Kraft will speak and welcome Brady to the podium.”

Brady will become the first Patriots player to have the four-year wait period waived for his entry to the Patriots Hall of Fame, with the former quarterback set to become the 35th person inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame. 

Of course, this won’t stand as the first time Brady and Belichick have shared the same stage since Belichick’s exit from New England in January. Belichick famously made an appearance at Brady’s Netflix roast last month — delivering some of the best jokes of the night at his former quarterback’s expense. 

The Patriots did announce a few more details about Brady’s ceremony on Monday evening.

Edelman, Moss, Gronkowski, Willie McGinest, Devin McCourty, Vince Wilfork, Ty Law, James White, Welker, Kevin Faulk, Matthew Slater, Dan Koppen, Logan Mankins, Matt Cassel, Brian Hoyer, Drew Bledsoe, Rob Ninkovich, and Patrick Chung were all confirmed as guests.

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In addition, Boston comedian Bill Burr will deliver the opening monologue to kick the ceremony off — with guests asked to be in their seats by 6:30 p.m. to hear Burr’s address and “surprise musical performances.”

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Conor Ryan

Sports Writer

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.

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