Tom Brady Faces Furious New England Patriots Fans After Missing Super Bowl LI Reunion

Tom Brady faces backlash over Patriots snub© X formally Twitter

Tom Brady built a dynasty in Foxborough. Now he returns to Gillette Stadium on Sunday, November 8, and some Patriots fans already feel snubbed. The seven-time champion will call the Patriots and Packers game for Fox. His name is missing from the 26-player alumni list for the Super Bowl LI 10th anniversary. Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski made the cut, even with their own Fox duties. That gap has sparked a loud debate about how close Brady still feels to New England.

Why fans question Tom Brady after the Super Bowl LI reunion snub

The anniversary honors one of the wildest nights in NFL history. New England trailed Atlanta 28-3 in Houston, then stormed back to win 34-28 in overtime. It gave Brady his fifth ring. Fans expected him to share the spotlight with the teammates he led that night.

Instead, they see Edelman and Gronkowski on the list. The comparison stung. "Edelman and Gronk work for FOX, but Brady can't come down for 5 minutes?" one fan asked.

Others went deeper. One supporter wrote, "Man I'll always love Brady but… he really lied when he said ‘fans will see me around a lot more once I'm retired'." That line captures the bigger worry. Some fans feel he has stayed away since he stopped playing.

Tom Brady's Gillette Stadium return: what he and Mike Vrabel have said

The record is hard to argue with. Brady spent 20 seasons in New England and won six Super Bowls. He left after 2019, won another title with Tampa Bay in 2021, and came back in August 2025 when the team unveiled his statue outside the stadium.

His job on Sunday explains part of the story. As Fox's lead analyst, he works beside Kevin Burkhardt. Still, fans point to Drew Brees, who stepped out of the Fox booth at halftime of a Saints game to be honored during his Ring of Honor induction.

Brady sounds eager about the trip. He told The Herd with Colin Cowherd, "It'll certainly be emotional. Every inch of that stadium I've been through so many times, from the locker rooms to the meeting rooms."

Patriots coach Mike Vrabel kept things light. "I think I'm required contractually to catch up with him at some point," Vrabel said. He expects to see Brady at Gronkowski's induction on Saturday.

A warm welcome may still be waiting. Fans rarely hold grudges against a quarterback who gave them six trophies. But a short walk onto the field with his old teammates would likely settle this debate fast. Whether that happens is up to Brady and Fox.