New England Patriots fans aren't the only ones extremely fired up for Tom Brady's long-awaited return to Foxborough as starting quarterback of the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Mere hours before kickoff of Sunday's primetime matchup between the Patriots and Buccaneers—absent Rob Gronkowski, unfortunately—Brady posted another hype video on social media. The first 40 seconds are an emotional tribute to his iconic 20-year run with New England, featuring highlights of he and his Patriots teammates in moments of glory.
But the video takes a hard turn from there, with Tom Brady telling the camera “there's gotta be more” before the music switches abruptly to accompany highlights of his ongoing stint in Tampa Bay.
Good to be back… pic.twitter.com/0euoXEdCv4
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) October 3, 2021
Nationwide interest in Tom Brady returning to his NFL roots is at a fever pitch—well, at least if the media presence at Gillette Stadium is any indication. ESPN's Adam Schefter noted on Twitter Sunday morning that the Patriots issued over 500 media credentials for the game, well over double the normal amount allotted.
Patriots issued 506 media credentials for tonight, including 262 to NBC. For perspective, Patriots issued 206 total media credentials for the team's season opener vs. Miami, with 70 going to CBS. Last week vs. the Saints, Patriots issued 215 credentials, including 60 to FOX.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 3, 2021
The Patriots and Bucs kickoff the Tom Brady Bowl at 8:20 EST on NBC.