Why Mike Vrabel Doesn’t Expect Tom Brady To Attend Patriots Hall Of Fame Ceremony

There surely will be at least a few New England alums in attendance Saturday when Mike Vrabel and Dante Scarneccia are inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.

Don’t count on Tom Brady being one of them.

Vrabel said Friday on 98.5 The Sports Hub that he does not expect the future Hall of Fame quarterback to attend the ceremony. He also used the opportunity to crack a few jokes at Brady’s expense.

“Tom texted and said congrats, and I’m guessing that means he won’t be able to attend,” the former Patriots linebacker and current Tennessee Titans head coach said, as transcribed by MassLive.com. “He probably has some cosmetic event planned and won’t be able to make it on Saturday morning.”

Vrabel added: “I texted him and said, ‘Remember when you used to be ruthless and it was just all that crap talking back and forth?’ That’s just why we loved to come to practice every day and work. Guys would be on the show team and talking back and forth and just competing and practicing. I was like… ‘When did you change?’ “

Head coach Bill Belichick mentioned the spirited practice battles Brady and Vrabel had during their eight seasons together, which he said were “quite entertaining at times, to be honest with you.”

“Mike had a great personality, great love for the game,” Belichick said in his Friday morning news conference. “Passionate, high-energy, very strong. … His strength was his length, his power and his intelligence. … Good, smart football player — and coach.”

Brady will get his own Patriots Hall of Fame ceremony next summer. Team owner Robert Kraft last month announced the team would waive the customary four-year waiting period and induct Brady on June 12, 2024.