The sports world has seen some underwhelming and inaccurate statues over the past few years: Dwayne Wade’s in Miami, and the far worse Cristiano Ronaldo statue in Portugal are two that come to mind. Patriots fans must have been relieved when Tom Brady’s statue, revealed on August 8, was beautifully constructed.
There’s no doubt he deserved it. Before Brady, the Patriots had made just two Super Bowl appearances, losing in both and by an average of 25 points.
With TB12 under center, the team made nine appearances in a 17-year span, winning six, and each of the three losses by one possession. Individually, the three-time MVP threw for just shy of 75,000 yards and 541 touchdowns as a Patriot.
The next Patriot to get a statue is clear as day
Brady spent two decades with the Patriots, and while players and coaches came and went, one facet stayed consistent: Bill Belichick. Now, a three-time All-Pro and former Patriot believes Belichick should be next to get a statue.
On WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show”, Devin McCourty made his voice heard, explaining the complexities of the Patriots’ defense: “I think from playing there, and I think playing on defense, and some of the thought processes that went into some game plans, and even overall the team success that the Patriots had, you can’t take away.”
He goes on to explain the importance of a statue for the all-time great head coach, saying, “I think that organization is built on, football-wise, what those two men [Brady and Belichick] gave to the team year after year. And we’re talking about two decades of excellence that, to me, deserve a statue.”
The logistics of a statue for Belichick will be interesting should it happen. Belichick’s success as a head coach came with Brady, but Brady’s entire Patriots career came alongside the greatest coach of all time. Separating the statues wouldn’t accurately depict their successes together. In my opinion, a statue of Belichick should be placed across from Brady’s, ensuring they are close in proximity, yet each receives its own shrine for fans to admire.
Now, Belichick is busy coaching football at UNC, and while he looks to be retired from the NFL, a return is still an outside possibility, however unlikely. Like Brady, I’d expect the Patriots to allow the Tarheel coach to retire before bestowing the honor upon him. For Brady, the statue was revealed just over two and a half years after he retired from the NFL, and almost five and a half years after leaving the Patriots.
If the team were to use that same timeline for the coach, the team could wait as long as 2031 to erect a statue in his honor. I wouldn’t expect it to take that long, but it’s a possibility using the same time scale.
A Belichick statue isn’t a matter of if, but when. The organization was graced with the most successful coach-QB duo ever: two decades of dominance, six rings, nine AFC Championships, and 13 AFCCG appearances. When Brady started, Foxborough didn’t go a single January without a playoff appearance during the former Wolverine’s time with the team.
In 2008, when they missed the cut, Belichick still found a way to win 11 games with Matt Cassel under center. The duo will go down in history, and Tom Brady’s statue is only half the praise this duo deserves.
