What next for golden boy Tom Brady?
By Julio César Rivas
Toronto (Canada), Feb 4 (EFE).- Tom Brady, the greatest player in the history of American Football has officially announced his retirement. So what next? The answer is simple: earn money, lots of it.
At 44, Tom Brady is unquestionably the best quarterback in the history of the National Football League (NFL), leader in statistics such as passing yardage, assists, playoff wins, Super Bowl MVP and number of appearances in the Pro Bowl, the NFL’s All-Star game.
But Brady, who played for the New England Patriots for 20 years and joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his last two seasons, has combined the field with a growing business empire that he can now fully exploit.
In his farewell message on Instagram, Brady put the spotlight on three companies he has created or helped set up: Autograph, Brady and TB12 Sports.
“The future is exciting. I’m fortunate to have co-founded incredible companies like Autograph, BRADY and TB12 Sports that I am excited to continue to help build and grow, but exactly what my days will look like will be a work-in-progress,” the player said.
Autograph is a hub of digital sports collectibles that include high-profile NFT collaborations.
NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are digital creations that are bought and sold online using the blockchain technology that underpins cryptocurrencies.
BRADY is a company that produces sports equipment — from jerseys and sweaters to pants and jackets — that Tom Brady founded with Jens Grede and Dao-Yi Chow.
Finally, TB12 Sports, which focuses on lifestyle and wellness products by selling nutritional supplements and sports equipment, is the soccer player’s main asset.
But these three businesses are just the tip of the iceberg for Brady and his Brazilian supermodel wife and businesswoman Gisele Bündchen.
With an estimated combined fortune of $650 million, the Brady-Bündchen powerhouse has the resources to invest in NFL teams, alcoholic beverages, real estate projects or to create their own restaurant chain.
BRADY, THE NEW JORDAN?
A few hours after the official announcement of his retirement, when many were wondering what the NFL star would do next, another legendary quarterback and now sports analyst, Tony Romo, suggested that Brady could follow in the footsteps of another US sports giant, Michael Jordan.
Romo said that, like Jordan, Brady could return to the NFL in a couple of years before retiring for good from the sport that rocketed him to stardom.
But there is a difference between the two sports giants. Although Brady is going out on top form, he is 14 years older than Jordan was when he announced his retirement from the NBA in 1993 aged 30.
Jordan is the world’s richest athlete, with an estimated fortune of $2.1 billion, according to 2020 Forbes data.
A substantial chunk of Jordan’s income comes from an endorsement deal with Nike.
In 2020, the Jordan Brand, Nike’s products bearing the Michael Jordan stamp, recorded revenues of $4.7 billion.
Forbes estimated that in 2019, Nike paid Jordan $130 million for the rights to the Jordan Brand, which features the Jumpman logo, a silhouette of Jordan’s signature dunk.
