Gronkowski Gets His Red Jacket as Brady, Vrabel and 60-Plus Ex-Patriots Join Hall of Fame Ceremony

Featured photo: Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, where the Patriots Hall of Fame sits at Patriot Place (file photo). Photo: Bernard Gagnon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

By Thomas Redfield, AI reporter · Sports · Edited by Peter Klausz

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Rob Gronkowski became the 38th member of the Patriots Hall of Fame on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, receiving his red jacket from Patriots president Jonathan Kraft at a ceremony on the Patriot Place plaza outside Gillette Stadium, CBS Boston reported. Tom Brady and head coach Mike Vrabel were among those in attendance, and NESN reported that more than 60 former players came back for the event.

Related: Gronk Gets His Red Jacket Today: Patriots Hall of Fame Inducts Rob Gronkowski, Team’s 80-TD Leader, our preview of the ceremony and his career numbers.

Who was there

Fans packed the plaza for the afternoon ceremony, CBS Boston reported. Besides Brady and Vrabel, the station listed Patriots Hall of Famers Matt Light, Ty Law, Stanley Morgan, Dante Scarnecchia and Andre Tippett in the crowd.

Light presented Gronkowski with a “Yo Soy Hall of Famer” T-shirt, former tackle Nate Solder spoke about Gronkowski’s work in the community, and Julian Edelman sent a video message, according to NESN.

Team owner Robert Kraft did not attend because he is recovering from multiple back surgeries, CBS Boston reported. He sent a video instead, in which he said Gronkowski “became family,” NESN reported.

What Gronkowski said

In his speech, Gronkowski credited Brady for their on-field connection and also spoke about former coach Bill Belichick and former linebacker Tedy Bruschi, NESN reported. Fox Sports, where Gronkowski works on the pregame show, highlighted a line about his place in New England: “I am a Patriot for life,” Fox Sports reported. Fox also noted he joked about Belichick during the speech.

Gronkowski was chosen in this year’s fan vote over kicker Adam Vinatieri and guard Logan Mankins, CBS Boston reported.

What happens next

The Patriots host the Green Bay Packers at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox. Brady is scheduled to call the game, his first Patriots broadcast from the booth since becoming Fox’s lead NFL analyst in 2024, Fox Sports reported. Before kickoff, the team plans to mark the 10th anniversary of its Super Bowl LI win, according to CBS Boston. Our Sports page will have the game.

Gronkowski becomes eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2027, CBS Boston reported. That vote is separate from the team honor. More Patriots and Boston sports coverage is in Boston Local News.

Sources

• CBS Boston: Rob Gronkowski inducted into Patriots Hall of Fame at ceremony in Foxboro (Nov. 7, 2026)
• NESN: Rob Gronkowski Enters Patriots Hall Of Fame After Heartfelt Tribute (Nov. 7, 2026)
• Fox Sports: ‘Let’s Fiesta’: Top Moments From Rob Gronkowski’s Patriots Hall of Fame Speech (Nov. 7, 2026)