Tom Brady’s Foxborough Return Loses Its Emotional Edge As Mike Florio Questions New England Patriots Fans’ Reaction To NFL Legend

Mike Florio challenges the nostalgia around Tom Brady’s Patriots return© Getty via AFP

Tom Brady returns to Gillette Stadium on Sunday, this time in the Fox broadcast booth for Packers vs. Patriots at 4:25 p.m. ET. The Patriots and Packers both arrive at 5-3, so the game itself carries weight. Mike Florio does not see a warm homecoming. Speaking on “NFL on NBC,” he called Brady an “enemy” of the franchise and pointed to the quarterback's ownership stake in the Raiders. A statue of Brady still stands outside the stadium, but Florio believes the emotional pull of this visit is weaker than the build-up suggests.

Florio says Brady's Foxborough return lacks emotional weight

Florio made his case on “NFL on NBC,” and he did not soften it. In his view, Brady has little reason to care how things go for the Patriots, because his financial stake lives somewhere else. Brady is a part owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, and Florio leaned on that fact.

“Hey, he's the enemy. He's the enemy now. And he (Tom Brady) said, “I don't have a dog in the fight between the Seahawks and the Patriots.” Why would he? He is an owner of the Raiders. He's all in with the Raiders.”

“And I could see his attitude being very simple,” Florio added. “Robert Kraft could have sold me a piece of the Patriots, and then I really would be still part of the family. But he is the enemy now. He's a part owner of the team that they beat in the classic game that launched the dynasty.”

Tom Brady's past visits show how much has changed

Since retiring, Brady has been back to Gillette Stadium several times. He was honored at the Patriots' 2023 season opener, returned for his Patriots Hall of Fame induction in 2024, and came again for the unveiling of his statue in 2025.

His plaque hangs in the nearby Hall of Fame museum. The team is no longer his, though. Drake Maye runs the offense and Mike Vrabel runs the sideline.

Some fans may have wanted more visits, and his Raiders stake has likely kept them limited. Brady sees the day differently from Florio.

“It'll certainly be emotional,” Brady told FOX's Colin Cowherd earlier this week. “To be back there and to really understand what that Patriot organization is all about and to convey that to the fans in a way where I'm not talking about myself, but I'm really talking about this awesome program that's been built – the Patriots just always seem to do things the right way.”

Rob Gronkowski goes into the Patriots Hall of Fame on Saturday, and some believe Brady's arrival could pull attention from that. Brady at the ceremony would not shock anyone.