Tom Brady & Bill Belichick Exchange Kind Words At Patriots Hall Of Fame Ceremony

Tom Brady was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame Wednesday, donning the red jacket in a ceremony that included owner Robert Kraft and former head coach Bill Belichick.

Brady became the 35th member of the team’s Hall of Fame, though it likely didn’t require much deliberation to induct the seven-time Super Bowl winner. Committees in Canton should have a similarly easy time in a few years. In his address, Kraft offered kind words to Brady and said that he wanted to hold a special ceremony for a “one-in-a-kind player.”

While the owner shared a meaningful moment with Brady during the ceremony, an exchange between the quarterback and Belichick more effectively recalled memories of the team’s dynastic run.

“Thank you for all that you’ve done for us,” Belichick said to Brady in his speech. “Thank you for all you’ve done for me. And thank you for the example and model that you’ve been for all of us, on a daily basis, for 20 years. You’re unbelievable.”

In his induction speech several minutes later, Brady returned the favor.

“Thank you for your tireless commitment to develop and push me to be my very best,” Brady said to Belichick. “It wasn’t me, it wasn’t you, it was us. Let me make this crystal clear — there is no coach in the world I would rather play for than Bill Belichick.”

Since Brady’s run in New England came to an end in 2019, public relationships between the team’s former titans have seemingly eroded. Kraft and Belichick have been at odds for years now, with Kraft reportedly going so far as to advise the Atlanta Falcons to avoid the head coach. Belichick did not have a job in the NFL in 2023. Brady’s relationship with the two figures also reportedly grew contentious and ultimately led him to finish his career with the Buccaneers.

In recent months, however, it seems that the key contributors to the Patriots dynasty have gone to great lengths to pull back the curtain and dispel rumors of hard feelings. Countless Patriots legends were in attendance for Brady’s roast last month, and this ceremony was a similarly united outing.