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.
Subscribe to 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."
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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
The genetic secrets of South Korea's female free-divers
Under The Radar Unique physiology of 'real-life mermaid' haenyeo women could help treat chronic diseases
-
Democrats: How to rebuild a damaged brand
Feature Trump's approval rating is sinking, but so is the Democratic brand
-
Unraveling autism
Feature RFK Jr. has vowed to find the root cause of the 'autism epidemic' in months. Scientists have doubts.
-
Kurdish PKK militia to disband for Turkey talks
speed read The Kurdistan Workers' Party will disarm after four decades of armed conflict with Turkey, putting an end to 'one of the longest insurgencies in the Middle East'
-
US, China agree to lower tariffs for 90 days
speed read US tariffs will fall to 30% from 145%, while China will cut its tax on US imports to 10% from 125%
-
India strikes Pakistan as tensions mount in Kashmir
speed read Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called it an 'act of war'
-
Israel approves plan to take over Gaza indefinitely
speed read Benjamin Netanyahu says the country is 'on the eve of a forceful entry'
-
Putin talks nukes as Kyiv slated for US air defenses
speed read 'I hope they will not be required,' Putin said of nuclear weapons on Russian state TV
-
US, Ukraine sign joint minerals deal
speed read The Trump administration signed a deal with Ukraine giving the US access to its mineral wealth
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Israel launches air strike on Beirut suburbs
Speed Read The attack targeting Hezbollah was Israel's third on the Lebanese capital since November's ceasefire