Network rumored to have shut down expected Patriots-Tom Brady reunion

Since leaving the Patriots in 2020, Tom Brady has been the subject of many rumors and connected to several teams for one reason or another. Beyond signing with the Bucs and leading them to their first Super Bowl victory in 18 years, chatter suggested he almost signed with the Dolphins and Raiders, with the quarterback adding the Bears to the list during Sunday's broadcast.

There was hope he would return to where his NFL career started, at least to formally retire as a Patriot, but that never happened. Instead, Robert Kraft held a retirement ceremony for the quarterback, which revealed his jersey number as being retired and an eventual statue coming to Gillette Stadium.

It was expected to be unveiled at some point this season, especially since Devin McCourty seemed to reveal Brady would be in the broadcast booth for the Patriots' first matchup with the Dolphins in Week 5, but that might not be the case anymore.

McCourty's bombshell excited Patriots fans to hear the greatest of all time call the game, even if the team isn't performing at a high level this season. It was a date marked on their calendars for the past month, only to be erased with the latest rumor claiming Brady won't return to Foxboro any time soon.

Tom Brady's FOX debut at Gillette Stadium is rumored to have been scrapped by the NFL

With the Patriots focus shifting to their Week 5 matchup with the Dolphins, there was an expectation that Brady and his broadcasting partner Kevin Burkhardt would be calling the game next Sunday.

Because the Patriots and Dolphins seasons have gone awry, with New England enduring back-to-back embarrassing losses and Miami losing starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, ESPN's Mike Reiss revealed the NFL has decided to hold off on Brady's return to Gillette Stadium and call a different game instead.

"Barring an unexpected change in the coming days, Tom Brady isn't scheduled to work the Patriots' Week 5 home game against the Dolphins, which will be broadcast on Fox. A source familiar with his schedule expects he will call the Cardinals-49ers game.

With Fox not having the doubleheader in Week 5, the possibility of Brady returning to his longtime home at Gillette Stadium to call the Patriots-Dolphins game might have been a consideration a few weeks ago. But once the Dolphins lost quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a concussion, and the Patriots struggled in a nationally televised Week 3 loss to the Jets, it took some national luster off the matchup."

While it's understandable that FOX would want their A-Team calling a more competitive and exciting game on the docket, it's a disappointing development for all the Patriots fans who were looking forward to hearing what Brady would have to say about his former team, even more so since many fans (and even some of the players) believe they have a chance to beat the Dolphins.

It's also unfortunate because this was the only game that seemed possible for Brady to be in the booth for, as most of the remainder of the 2024 schedule has already been revealed.

Now, Patriots fans will have to wait even longer for the return of the GOAT, which might be a good thing so the team can be playing far better when he's given the chance to call the game.

UPDATE

It is now confirmed that Brady will work the Cardinals vs. 49ers game in Week 5 and not the Dolphins vs. Patriots at Foxboro.

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