“I Don’t Want Him Playing”: Ryan Reynolds Explains Why Tom Brady Being a Birmingham City Stakeholder is ‘Less Threatening’

Even in retirement, Tom Brady is staying relevant in the world of professional sports. The latest face of the Fox Sports network now spends his time investing in sports teams, among other things.

After bowing out of the NFL following the conclusion of the 2023 season, Brady wasted no time in jump-starting his career as a sports mogul. One of his first investments saw him become a minority owner in Birmingham City F.C., a second-tier English soccer club that has one of the most star-studded groups of investors in the world today.

The team’s other two most notable minority owners? LeBron James and Ryan Reynolds. While the Hollywood star was certainly thrilled at the idea of Brady’s presence, which he felt would provide the club with a winning culture, he wasn’t necessarily thrilled at the prospect of him taking to the pitch.

During a recent appearance at a Cannes Lions Stagwell Beach panel discussion, Reynolds jokingly stated that he doesn’t trust a 47-year-old Brady to deliver results on the field.

“My only worry was, is he allowed to play? I don’t want him playing. Him joining sports is a little bit less threatening because, you’re like ‘yeah you lost to Tom Brady’,” said Reynolds.

Thankfully, Reynolds, the star of Marvel’s Deadpool, won’t have to worry about the seven-time Super Bowl champion fielding penalty kicks. Brady seems more than content being a mogul nowadays. More importantly, his arrival appears to have changed the club’s fortune for the better.

Birmingham City currently stands atop the EFL League One with a 34-9-3 record. With 111 points to their name so far, the club looks to be in stellar form as they have been perfect through their last five contests.

The team just managed to secure its promotion, as it now sits just one rung below the Premier League in England. It seems as if, no matter where he goes, Brady’s winning traditions follow him.

Considering that he’s also a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, it seems as if Brady is well on his way to becoming the next Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson. The two NBA legends famously channeled their fortunes into sports ownership after retirement.

While Brady is unlikely to develop a shoe brand that’s as iconic as Jordan’s, his stake in the Raiders allows him to close the gap between the two. Then again, Jordan is responsible for one of the greatest flips in sporting history.

The household name purchased the Charlotte Hornets for $275 million back in 2010. In 2023, he sold the team for nearly $3 billion, a move that more than doubled his net worth. Brady’s investments, with his penchant for winning, are also likely to soar in the future.