Bill Belichick weighs in on whether Tom Brady deserves a statue

Patriots

“Give him whatever you want, yeah.” Belichick said with a laugh.

Tom Brady will be honored at the Patriots’ home opener against the Eagles on Sept. 10. It will be the “Thank You Tom” game, according to the Patriots, and it will celebrate Brady’s two decades with the franchise.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick said during an interview on WEEI’s Greg Hill Show Monday that he’s looking forward to seeing Brady there and that one night isn’t enough to cover the legendary quarterback’s contributions to New England.

“I’m sure there will be a lot of excitement at the game, in the stands as there should be,” Belichick said. “He’s done an awful lot for this organization, for this franchise, for this city, the National Football League. One night’s really not enough, anywhere close to the appreciation for what Tom deserves.”

Is the seven-time Super Bowl champion worthy of a statue?

“Give him whatever you want, yeah,” Belichick said with a laugh.

Belichick said he’s spoken to Brady a couple of times since he left New England and added that he believes Brady will do well in his new role as a broadcaster.

“What a great experience and opportunity it was for me to coach Tom,” Belichick said. “Tremendous appreciation for everything he did for me, did for our team, everything he gave us. Sounds like he’s moving on to a very successful career in broadcasting and everything else he decides to do. He’s a pretty talented guy, so I’m sure he’ll do well in whatever he chooses to do.”

Belichick said he feels fortunate to have coached Brady, Lawrence Taylor, and Matthew Slater during his career.

“That’s the three top players at their position: offense, defense, and special teams and that’s pretty – I feel lucky as a coach,” Belichick said. “Great players make great coaches and I’ve been very fortunate. There’s been a lot of great players along the way. I’m not taking anything away from anybody else, but those three are special.”