The New England Patriots on Friday unveiled a larger-than-life bronze statue of Tom Brady outside Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, ahead of the team’s preseason game against the Washington Commanders. It is the first time the franchise has honored any employee with a permanent statue. The monument rises 17 feet from a hexagonal granite base—one side for each of the Patriots’ six Super Bowl victories under Brady—to the tip of the quarterback’s raised fist. The bronze figure itself stands 12 feet, nodding to Brady’s jersey number, and the entire work weighs about six tons, or roughly 12,300 pounds. Local sculptor Jeff Buccacio spent around 20,000 hours crafting the piece, which now anchors Patriot Place Plaza near the club’s Hall of Fame. Brady, 48, thanked fans, family and former teammates at the ceremony, quipping that a statue felt “appropriate given my 40-yard dash time” and joking that it would give rival New York Jets supporters “something to throw their beers at” on game days. Team owner Robert Kraft called Brady “the true heartbeat” of the Patriots and said the monument will “forever remind us what Tom Brady did and how he made us all feel.” The statue caps a series of tributes to the quarterback, who retired in 2023 holding NFL records for wins, passing yards and touchdowns. Brady spent 20 seasons in New England, winning six Super Bowls and 17 AFC East titles before adding a seventh championship with Tampa Bay. His No. 12 jersey was retired and he entered the Patriots Hall of Fame last year after the club waived its customary four-year waiting period.