Tom Brady to be inducted early into Patriots Hall of Fame next summer

Tom Brady’s Hall of Fame status in New England was never in doubt.

But now, the organization’s best quarterback won’t have to wait as long to get there.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft, standing alongside Brady for the team’s season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, announced he is waiving the usual four-year waiting period for Brady to enter the team’s Hall of Fame.

Brady will be officially inducted next summer on a date that lines up with No. 12’s six Super Bowl wins.

Brady spent nearly his entire career with the Patriots, who first selected him in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft out of Michigan. He won six Super Bowls with the franchise. His first came in the 2001 campaign in what was just his second season in the league, and his last came during the 2018 season. Brady eventually finished his career with a three-season run with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he picked up his seventh and final Super Bowl ring before retiring.

Brady threw for 74,571 yards and 541 touchdowns and racked up a 219-64 record with the Patriots.

Brady returned to New England on Sunday for the Patriots’ opener against the Eagles. He rang the bell at the stadium before the game and was honored at halftime.

Brady, who signed a massive deal with Fox before he retired, is expected to join the network in the broadcast booth in 2024.

Brady will first be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2028, as that organization has a five-year waiting period. While the Hall of Fame isn't likely to adjust its waiting period like Kraft did, Brady is sure to be inducted the moment he's eligible.