Tom Brady is scheduled to call the New England Patriots-Green Bay Packers game for Fox Sports at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, Boston.com reported.
The Patriots and Packers are both 5-3, with quarterbacks Drake Maye and Jordan Love leading the matchup. The game is scheduled for 4:25 p.m. Sunday afternoon, putting the broadcast assignment alongside a matchup between two teams with winning records and highly regarded young quarterbacks.
The Tom Brady return will be his first Patriots game in Foxborough as a Fox Sports broadcaster, according to Boston.com. Brady joined Fox Sports in 2024 and is in his third season as the network’s top color commentator on NFL broadcasts. ESPN pundit Chris Russo questioned the attention surrounding Brady’s assignment, while Maye described the appearance as cool and recognized Brady’s legacy at Gillette Stadium.
Tom Brady return adds a broadcast storyline to Patriots-Packers
Boston.com reported that Brady discussed the assignment with Colin Cowherd. Brady described the upcoming appearance in emotional terms because of his history at the stadium, where he played for 20 seasons and won six Super Bowls with New England.
“It’ll be certainly emotional,” Brady told Cowherd.
Brady also said that he had been through every part of the stadium, including the locker rooms, meeting rooms and field. He pointed to memorable plays from big games, championship games, rivalry games and division-clinching games as reasons the assignment carries personal weight.
Brady said he wanted to help convey what the Patriots organization means to its fans without making the broadcast about himself. He described the Patriots as an organization that had built an “awesome program” and said the team “just always seem[s] to do things the right way,” according to Boston.com.
That reaction gives the broadcast a personal connection to the Patriots’ home venue, where Brady previously played before moving into his Fox Sports role. The game itself remains a matchup between two teams with winning records and two young quarterbacks in Maye and Love.
Why Chris Russo objected to the attention on Brady’s return
Russo criticized the emphasis on Brady’s presence during an ESPN discussion, according to Boston.com. His comments focused on the idea that the broadcaster’s return was receiving more attention than the Patriots-Packers matchup.
“The idea now that this is a big deal that Tom’s in the booth and he’s doing the game…Who the hell cares?” Russo said. “Call the game on the moon! I mean, this is the dumbest thing in the world.”
Russo’s remarks were his assessment of the attention surrounding Brady’s return. He objected to making the booth assignment the central storyline for a game featuring Maye, Love, the Patriots and the Packers.
Russo specifically argued that Fox should promote Maye, Love and the Patriots-Packers matchup instead of presenting Brady’s presence as the primary reason to watch. He also emphasized that Brady will be calling the game from the booth rather than participating on the field.
Russo added that his criticism was directed at Fox’s promotion and not at Brady personally. He said Brady had not asked for the level of attention being placed on the assignment.
The criticism creates a contrast in how the broadcast is being discussed. Brady’s appearance carries personal significance because of his connection to Foxborough, while Russo argued that the football matchup should receive the greater emphasis.
Brady called the return emotional, and Maye welcomed it
Maye offered a positive response to Brady’s upcoming appearance. Boston.com reported that the Patriots quarterback called the return cool and recognized Brady’s importance to the franchise and Gillette Stadium.
“What a legend to come back here, and it’s definitely cool for him, I bet, to come back and call a game in the stadium where he won so many games and was a legend in this stadium,” Maye said, according to Boston.com.
Maye said Brady, the fans and the teams helped build Gillette Stadium into what it is. Maye also said he was not sure whether Patriots players would be allowed to speak with Brady before the game because Brady has other football commitments with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Maye added that he does not regularly watch television copies of his own games, except for specific moments that could help identify something that might hurt the team. He said he tries to appreciate Brady’s presence around the field and what Brady left behind in New England.
Maye’s comments connected Brady’s broadcasting assignment to the history he established in New England. The response also placed the focus on the relationship between Brady and the stadium, rather than treating the appearance solely as a television promotion.
Brady previously returned to Foxborough as a Buccaneer
Brady previously returned to Foxborough as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 3, 2021. That visit came while he was still an active player competing against New England, one season after he won his seventh Super Bowl and his only championship with Tampa Bay.
Brady also returned to Gillette Stadium for New England’s season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles in September 2023. He came back in June 2024 for his Patriots Hall of Fame ceremony and again in August 2025 for the unveiling of his statue outside the stadium.
The upcoming appearance is different because Brady will be at Gillette Stadium as a Fox Sports broadcaster. He will call the game while Maye and Love lead their respective offenses in a matchup between two 5-3 teams.
The Patriots and Packers are scheduled to meet Sunday at Gillette Stadium, with Brady calling the game for Fox Sports.
