Fox's promotion of the moment has drawn criticism from Chris Russo even as Brady calls it emotional.
Tom Brady heads back to Gillette Stadium this weekend, not in pads but in a headset. Sunday's game between the 5-3 Patriots and the 5-3 Packers marks Brady's first time calling a New England game for Fox, after 49 combined regular season and postseason broadcasts elsewhere. He spent 20 seasons in New England, starting 19 of them, and left with six Super Bowl titles to his name.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye called it cool to have Brady back in the building where he was, in Maye's words, elite. Brady himself has admitted the return feels emotional, especially with the Patriots also honoring Rob Gronkowski and the 2016 team that same weekend.
Not everyone is buying the sentiment. Chris Russo tore into Fox for turning the broadcast into a Brady retrospective instead of focusing on the actual matchup between Maye and Packers quarterback Jordan Love. Russo pointed to Fox's heavy promotion last week, with commercials and hype videos built around Brady's homecoming, and called the whole approach the dumbest thing in the world.
Brady last played at Gillette Stadium as a visitor in 2021 with Tampa Bay. This weekend will be his first appearance there as a broadcaster.