Tom Brady is returning to New England in a new role: as a broadcaster. As his former franchise takes on the Green Bay Packers in a hotly anticipated Week 9 matchup, fans are going to have the added benefit of hearing the seven-time Super Bowl champion in the booth.

The occasion feels understandably immense. But one “First Take” personality didn’t think that was the prevailing story going into the weekend. Unfortunately for him, Stephen A. Smith was adamant that Brady’s presence at Foxborough was as big as it gets.

Stephen A. Smith Is Hyped About Tom Brady Returning to the Patriots’ Breeding Ground

Since becoming FOX Sports’ lead NFL analyst, Brady has quickly become one of the most beloved figures in the NFL announcing landscape. But even as he’s gone from strength to strength, he has yet to call a Patriots game at Gillette Stadium.

This week, that changes when he returns for a historic occasion in Patriots’ history. The weekend will also celebrate Rob Gronkowski’s induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame and the 10th anniversary of the 2016 championship team.

Gronkowski will be recognized at halftime Sunday, while members of the Super Bowl 51-winning team will be introduced before the game.

But Chris “Mad Dog” Russo isn’t too thrilled about the idea. Calling it the “dumbest thing” as a promotional tactic, he believes the game itself is too exciting for anyone to care about Brady being in the booth, especially as he’s already returned to the stadium as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer.

“You’re missing it,” Smith responded. “The New England Patriots were in the Super Bowl, and he’s still the star attraction for that team. Right now. As a broadcaster. Yes, he is just as compelling as the Patriots in the eyes of a lot of Patriots fans.”

Moreover, while Russo was angry that Fox was using him as the main attraction for the game, Smith was fully on board with the idea. For him, it was a simple case of the network wanting to make the most of its investment.

“He’s the one and only Tom Brady, okay? Who, by the way, is in the midst of a 10-year, $375 million contract that FOX wants to completely justify. It’s called validating one’s investment. Some people can learn about that. When you sit up there, and you pay people, and they’re box office, you treat them that way. That is what you should be doing.”

Beyond the hype around the broadcaster for the game, though, the Patriots taking on the Packers is one of the most exciting matchups of the season. With two young quarterbacks on the cusp of superstardom, both teams have dealt with slow starts this year.

However, they’ve rallied back and now sit at 5-3 apiece. As a result, this could be a showcase of two excellent playoff teams with quarterbacks in Drake Maye and Jordan Love who could very well be the future of the sport.