Tom Brady's done with football. Could politics be next?


Tom Brady has officially retired from the NFL. So, what's next? Judging from his previous statements, the answer to that question could be "politics."
In 2004, Brady told ESPN magazine it was his "craziest ambition" to one day be a United States senator. After he made that statement, an investigation found that the then-26-year-old Brady had never voted.
Brady reiterated his interest in seeking political office during a 2005 interview with CBS' 60 Minutes.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback has not referred to that particular aspiration lately, but he has not shied away from making political statements either. In the leadup to the 2016 election, CNN reported, Brady displayed a Make America Great Again hat in his locker.
In 2020, Brady said in an interview with Howard Stern that Trump's political career made him "uncomfortable" and that "political support is totally different than the support of a friend."
Shortly after winning his seventh and final Super Bowl, Brady joked with the newly inaugurated President Biden about former President Donald Trump's stolen election claims.
In May 2021, writer Drew Magary predicted that, after retiring, Brady would not run for office, but instead "will become one of those dudes who loves being ASKED to run for public office but never actually does. This has been a whole genre of celebrity for decades now."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brady would not be the first to make the transition from football to politics. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) won his Senate seat in 2020 after working as a Division I college football head coach for over 20 years.
Rep. Jon Runyan (R-N.J.) was an NFL offensive lineman from 1996 to 2009 before winning his first term in the House of Representatives in 2010, according to ABC News.
After an unsuccessful career as an NFL quarterback, Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) served three terms in the House before leaving Congress in 2013.
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
Japan poised to get first woman prime minister
Speed Read The ruling Liberal Democratic Party elected former Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi
-
Israel and Hamas meet on hostages, Trump’s plan
Speed Read Hamas accepted the general terms of Trump’s 20-point plan, including the release of all remaining hostages
-
US tipped to help Kyiv strike Russian energy sites
Speed Read Trump has approved providing Ukraine with intelligence for missile strikes on Russian energy infrastructure
-
Netanyahu agrees to Trump’s new Gaza peace plan
Speed Read At President Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they agreed upon a plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Moldova gives decisive win to pro-EU party
Speed Read The country is now on track to join the European Union within five years
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
UK, 3 Western allies recognize Palestinian state
Speed Read Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal formally recognized the state of Palestine