Tom Brady has once again set fans talking about his post-NFL reinvention after revealing that, at 49, he has welcomed leather pants into his wardrobe for the very first time.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion stepped far from the football field and into the fashion spotlight, walking a runway in the heart of Times Square in a bold leather look for Demna’s debut Gucci show, before fronting a dramatic new campaign shoot.
Brady’s appearance in the Gucci ad campaign quickly drew buzz online, with the former New England Patriots star embracing what is being billed as his first major modeling moment.
Since retiring from the NFL in 2022, Brady has been reshaping his public life, moving into sports broadcasting through his massive 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox while also expanding into a range of business and media ventures.
Away from his career, the football icon has also navigated major personal changes, including his October 2022 divorce from Gisele Bündchen, marking the start of a very different chapter.
Discussing his unexpected style pivot with GQ , Brady admitted: “Yeah, I’d never really done leather on leather before, but there are some leather pants in my closet now. I thought, ‘Damn, that’s actually really comfortable.’ I could see why people wear this.”
Tom Brady wore leather pants in a striking new Gucci campaign photoshoot
Brady appeared on a Times Square runway in May wearing an all-leather Gucci outfit
Brady’s appearance has sparked midlife crisis fears after he turned 49 earlier this month
‘It’s definitely a different look. It felt more like a uniform – there was a rigidity and a structure to it, like my football uniform.’
But fans continue to be concerned over the direction of Brady’s post-playing days.
One user wrote online: ‘”And becoming a leather pants guy at 49″ is perhaps the most divorced guy line ever written’ and another said: You either die a hero or live long enough to be a leather pants guy at 49.’
‘I can’t defend him anymore,’ one fan said. ‘This is not my TB12,’ as another responded: ‘We are witnessing a generational mid-life crisis.’
Others compared him to Friends character Ross Geller after a scene in the hit sitcom where he started wearing leather pants.
In another photo, Brady posed topless beneath a smart jacket, and joked that is not a look he is able to take into his day job on TV.
‘For my broadcasting, I’m usually in a suit, but I don’t know how my producer and director at Fox would handle it if I came in without a shirt on,’ he told GQ.
‘I’m not sure how the football audience would love that. I take my jacket off a lot during the game, so that wouldn’t turn out great.’
The seven-time Super Bowl champion will begin year three of his massive Fox deal as lead NFL color analyst on September 13 in Philadelphia as the Eagles host the Washington Commanders in Week 1.
Brady admitted he has added leather pants to his wardrobe since his Gucci modelling job
Brady’s life has undergone bigchanges in recent years with the end of his NFL playing days
Fans shared concerns for Brady after his latest venture since retiring from football in 2022
Brady officially kicked off his ’40s farewell tour’ as he celebrated his birthday earlier this month on a luxurious vacation with his three kids, Jack, 18, Benjamin, 16, and Vivian, 13.
In a photo shared on Instagram, Brady was seen opening some gifts next to the pool on a yacht as he wrote: ‘Birthday presents from the best kids in the world. That’s called R.O.I [Return On Investment].’
He has faced criticism in recent weeks after sparking a feud with Logan Paul and hinting at a foray into WWE. He was filmed clashing with Paul at the FIFA World Cup final and has continued to tease his next move in wrestling.
While many have suggested that is further proof of a ‘mid-life crisis’, NFL insider Mike Florio recently suggested there might be something more at play.
‘I spoke yesterday about Tom Brady’s foray into the world of WWE and I got an email from a reader that I think may have been more accurate than I initially wanted to admit,’ NBC’s Florio said.
‘There are two ways of looking at this. One, it’s a sort of bizarre mid-life crisis for Tom Brady, it’s an exercise in ego, can’t get enough, got to do more.
‘There’s also a chance it is part of a broader plan. Is Tom Brady trying to cosy up to the wrestling base when it comes to for running for office? I did research this morning and the idea of Tom Brady running for president is not some new thing.’
