This is one decision Tom Brady didn’t think twice about.
When the future Hall of Fame quarterback was invited to return to New England for the Patriots’ season opener against the Eagles on Sunday, Sept. 10, team owner Robert Kraft said Brady, 45, accepted the offer “right away.”
“We always knew he was a Patriot at heart and we wanted him back here — and we want our fans to be able to recognize everything he did for us and how special he is,” Kraft recently told The Post of the Patriots’ homecoming plans for Brady, who won six Super Bowls in New England.
“When I made him the offer he accepted right away… And, I mean, the demand for tickets for that game is unbelievable, so we look forward to honoring him.”
Kraft, who recently took part in the first-ever Fanatics Merch Madness donation event on Tuesday, remarked how Brady “has been such a special part of my life” for more than two decades, as the quarterback began his career with the Patriots back in 2000.
“Tom has been such a special part of my life for the last [23 or 24 years] — 20 years with us and, you know, seeing him grow from a young man right out of college and evolve in relationships where he had, three children,” Kraft said.
“Unfortunately, after 20 years of service to the team, he had to leave.”
Brady departed New England after the 2019-20 season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He won what would be his seventh and final Super Bowl in 2021 as a member of the Buccaneers before calling it a career in February.
Kraft, 82, is grateful to have experienced such a “special” tenure with Brady in New England.
“I think about how lucky we are that the NFL is just a little over 100 years old,” Kraft said. “And we’ve been privileged to have the greatest player in the history of the game, play for our team for over 20% of the life of the NFL. It’s pretty special.”
Brady’s bond with Kraft goes well beyond football.
In October, Brady missed the Buccaneers’ walk-through practice so he could attend Kraft’s surprise wedding in New York.
Kraft, who first announced in May the Patriots’ plans to honor Brady at the team’s 2023 home opener, told CNN in February how he wants the former quarterback to sign a one-day contract so he can retire a Patriot.
Brady has shared many a memory in New England, especially with his family.
The future NFL analyst, who also participated in Fanatics’ Merch Madness, shares daughter Vivian, 10, and son Benjamin, 13, with his ex-wife, supermodel Gisele Bündchen.
The former three-time MVP also has a 15-year-old son, Jack, with his ex, actress Bridget Moynahan.
Kraft was just one of the many notable names to participate in Fanatics Merch Madness, which was the biggest part of Fanatics’ Global Volunteer Day — a companywide day of service that saw more than 4,000 employees across 10 countries volunteer in their local communities at one of more than 150 different locations to donate roughly $20 million.
“We’re honored to be a small part of it with Fanatics and Michael Ruben and his team because sports are the way we build community and connect with people from all backgrounds, and instead of selling merchandise, they’re giving it away to people who would appreciate it,” Kraft said, adding New England’s 2023 draftees also attended the event.
The star-studded list of participants included Eli Manning, Meek Mill, Lil’ Baby, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Chris Paul, Russell Wilson, Odell Beckham Jr., Micah Parsons, DJ Khaled, Quavo, Robert Kraft, and many more.