Patriots to honor Tom Brady at 2023 home opener

The NFL’s full schedule for the 2023 regular season won’t be unveiled until 8 p.m. ET Thursday.

But a familiar face will be returning to Foxborough: Tom Brady.

The New England Patriots have announced that the quarterback under center for each of the franchise’s six Super Bowl victories will be honored at the home opener next September.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft first shared the news during a morning appearance on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.”

“I’m thinking that the NFL is over a century old, and 20 percent of those years of the NFL, the greatest player in the history of the game played right here in Foxborough,” Kraft said of Brady, who retired in February at the age of 45 after spending the final three years of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and earning a seventh ring. “And I’m happy to tell you and your audience that I invited him back to come here and be with us the opening game and let the fans in New England thank him for the great service he gave us for over 20 years.

“It’ll be the beginning of many celebrations to honor Tom Brady and say ‘thank you’ for what he did for us those 20 years playing for the New England Patriots.”

According to a report from Mike Giardi, head coach Bill Belichick’s roster will begin the season with back-to-back games at Gillette Stadium.