OPINION By Kalvin Tragethon

  Almost 4 months after retiring, Tom Brady is returning to Foxborough, as the New England Patriots have announced that they will be honoring him during the first game of the Patriots' 2023 season.

  Brady left the Patriots in the 2019-2020 offseason, after they refused to offer him a multi-year contract with the team, which he had been asking for for multiple years prior to leaving. The Patriots’ and Brady’s struggles off the field have gone back a long way, but they ramped up at the trade deadline in 2017. The Patriots had drafted quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft, and were hoping that he would be the future quarterback of the Patriots after Brady’s time was up. But, after Brady made his intentions clear that he wanted to continue to play football until his mid 40’s, the Patriots decided they were going to have to trade one of the quarterbacks. At the trade deadline of the 2017 season, the General Manager of the San Francisco 49er’s called Belichick to inquire about trading for Jimmy Garoppolo, however, Belichick offered to trade Brady to the team instead. Patriots owner Robert Kraft would step in, ensuring that Brady would not be traded away from the Patriots, but this poor treatment Brady received from his coach would begin deteriorating Brady’s relationship with the team.

  In December of that very same year, news broke that Tom Brady’s personal trainer Alex Guerrero was removed from Patriots’ team operations. This move was crushing for Brady, who had worked with Guerrero to improve the way he physically felt as he aged. The method that Brady used worked so well for him that he decided to start his own health brand called TB12. This brand focused on promoting healthy eating and exercises that improve pliability to keep you healthy and feeling strong even as you age.

  This interview drove speculation that the team and Brady were not on great terms. At the end of 2017, Tom Brady’s personal trainer Alex Guerrero was removed from Patriots’ team operations, upsetting Brady, who had worked with Guerrero to improve the way he physically felt as he aged. The method that Brady used worked so well for him that he decided to start his own health brand called TB12. This brand focuses on promoting healthy eating and exercises that improve pliability to keep you healthy and feeling strong, even as you age.

  Brady’s first time publicly snapping back at his mistreatment by the Patriots organization was in April of 2018 during an interview with sportscaster Jim Gray. In the interview, Gray asked, “Do you feel appreciated by [Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Head Coach Bill Belichick] and do they have the appropriate gratitude for what you have achieved?” 

  Brady responded by saying, “I plead the 5th.”

  But, despite all of the trouble that the Patriots had given Brady, his intent was still to play with the New England Patriots until he retired. Prior to the 2019-2020 season, Tom Brady was hoping to receive a multi-year extension from the New England Patriots. But, the Patriots were only willing to go year to year with the then 42 year old Brady, and so, instead if signing an extension to take him through the end of his career, the team gave Brady a pay increase for the 2019-2020 season and took the Franchise Tag off of his contract allowing him to become a free-agent at the end of the 2019 season, which would enable him to pick which team he wanted to play for. 

  All of this culminated in Brady leaving the Patriots in the 2020 offseason, where he would sign the multi-year contract that he had always wanted, signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

  One Superbowl later, Brady is now a retired man and he is coming back into the Patriots fold. Brady and the New England Patriots made the announcement that they were going to honor him on opening day through posts on their social media platforms on May 11. 

  This announcement was then followed up by an appearance by Tom Brady in a “Patriots retirement house” social media commercial, which featured many former Patriots players and staff members. Brady made a quick appearance at the end of the video, but it was noteworthy, as he rang the doorbell and asked if there was room for one more in the retirement house. This symbolizes Brady and the Patriots’ reconnection that appears to have taken place, which will hopefully allow for the ceremony of Brady on opening day to be the biggest in team history. The quarterback, who was the leader of the team through their dynasty that featured six Super Bowl Championships, does not deserve to be locked out of the house any longer.