Tom Brady is heading back to Foxborough this weekend, but not everyone in New England is rolling out the red carpet. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy — a diehard Patriots lifer — made it crystal clear that his patience for the Brady lovefest has officially run out.
Brady will be in the broadcast booth for Sunday's Packers-Patriots clash at Gillette Stadium, and FOX has been selling the Week 9 matchup as a grand homecoming. Portnoy isn't having it. He fired off a post on X that summed up his feelings: "This is exactly how I felt when I saw the hype video of Tom returning to NE like we are all very stupid people who don't remember the past."
Portnoy's grudge goes back further than this weekend
This isn't a one-off jab. Portnoy already took aim at Brady earlier this year, accusing the seven-time Super Bowl champion of helping Mike Macdonald and the Seahawks knock off the Patriots. For a guy who built his brand on unfiltered Boston sports takes, the Brady glow has clearly dimmed.
It's a striking shift for someone who once worshipped at the altar of TB12. But Portnoy's message is simple: New England fans haven't forgotten how things ended, and they don't need a network telling them how to feel about it.
Brady admits the return will hit him hard
While Portnoy rolls his eyes, Brady himself is bracing for an emotional Sunday. During an appearance on "The Herd" with Colin Cowherd, the future Hall of Famer opened up about what it means to walk back into the building where he built a dynasty.
"It'll be certainly emotional," Brady said. "Every inch of that stadium I've been through so many times, from the locker rooms to the meeting rooms, the fields. I had just so many memorable plays in that stadium. Big games, championship games and rivalry games, division clinching games."
Brady added that he wants to honor the organization rather than make it about himself. "To be back there and to really understand what that Patriot organization is all about, and to convey that to the fans in a way where I'm not like talking about myself. I'm really talking about this awesome program that's been built, and the Patriots just always seem to do things the right way."
Fans can expect a thunderous ovation when Brady appears on the broadcast — a moment that could get even more awkward given his recent live TV slip-ups.
Vrabel keeps it frosty
Meanwhile, Mike Vrabel was asked whether he'd sit down with Brady before kickoff. His answer was pure deadpan. "I'm required contractually to catch up with him at some point," Vrabel said. "I'm sure it'll be a Zoom. I'm sure they won't show up here. I'm sure it will be Zoom. So, yep, that's contractually I'll be talking to him. And I'm sure I'll see him at Gronk's induction on Saturday."
Whether Vrabel was joking or throwing shade, the vibe around Foxborough is clearly complicated. The Patriots have moved on, and so have plenty of their fans.
What to watch Sunday
- Brady's booth debut at Gillette, where he'll call Packers-Patriots for FOX
- Whether the crowd gives him a standing ovation or a mixed reception
- How Portnoy's criticism shapes the narrative on social media
- Vrabel's pregame interactions — or lack thereof — with the legend
Brady's return is being framed as a celebration, but Portnoy's pushback shows the story isn't that simple. For plenty of Patriots diehards, Sunday will be about the team on the field — not the guy in the headset. Brady may get his moment, but he won't get a free pass.
