Tom Brady's Game Plan: The Legend on Why He Won't Set a Retirement Date, Filmmaking and His $375M Fox Sports Deal

In a move no one saw coming, Tom Brady will return to play for his beloved New England Patriots. But before you call your extended family in Boston to celebrate, know that this homecoming is only for one movie. In “80 for Brady,” the three-time MVP quarterback, who joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020, plays the 2017 version of himself in Super Bowl LI. Brady wears his famous blue and white jersey, face paint and a near-buzz cut, all for a scene in which he recreates one of his greatest comebacks. (He overcame the Atlanta Falcons' 28-3 lead to pull off a career-defining clash of victory.) played by Sally Field, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Lily Tomlin - who travel to Houston to cheer on their favorite sports idol. Think Book Club, but with Tom Brady.

Not to be outdone by these formidable Hollywood icons, Brady recruited his own group to join him on screen. In the film, Brady lights up the field with former Patriots players Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman, all of whom make cameos as themselves. "We've been in a lot of battles together," Brady said one afternoon in May, lounging in a Las Vegas hotel suite the night before a charity golf game. He's dressed in his new athleisure line, called (what else?) Brady. "We've never been on a film set together, but it felt like we were back in the locker room when we were there," Brady said. "Every time I involve my friends in things that I do, it makes it even more enjoyable for me."

Shot on location at Encore Duplex Suite at Wynn Las Vegas Cliff Watts For Variety

These days, the 44-year-old star is trying to have fun while getting ready for her next act. Yes, he's playing for the Buccaneers this season, but he's also building a second career as an entrepreneur. After retiring for a ridiculously short 40 days earlier this year, even he admits he doesn't know when he'll quit football. Brady recently signed a 10-year contract with Fox Sports for $375 million to be a senior on-air NFL analyst, although that won't start until he's finished playing. p>

For now, he intends to conquer the fitness market with the TB12 method, which revolves around a diet created by his physical trainer Alex Guerrero. For another side business, he hired more than 100 employees to run Autograph, an NFT platform for sports and pop culture memorabilia. And after directing the Facebook Watch series "Tom vs Time" and the ESPN docuseries "Man in the Arena," he's looking to produce movies, TV shows, and documentaries with his content company 199 Productions (named from his sixth-round position in the 2000 NFL Draft). Not all of these projects will feature him, according to his agent Jason Hodes at WME. But in some cases, it makes sense: "80 for Brady" was started by an agent whose grandmother is a super Brady fan.

Perhaps the most ambitious, Brady's clothing line is co-founded by Jens Grede, the Swedish businessman behind Frame jeans and Kim Kardashian's shapewear brand Skims. Brady's clothing collection — which includes tanks, t-shirts, hoodies and pants — is available at Nordstrom and online; as it expands, it could make a serious dent in the market given its fan base. "In particular, underwear...