Since retiring from the NFL after the 2022 season, Tom Brady hasn’t exactly faded from the spotlight. The seven-time Super Bowl champion holds a 5% ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, serves as Fox Sports’ lead NFL game analyst, and also has an active YouTube channel.
Brady has hosted popular YouTuber IShowSpeed at his mansion, appeared at virtually every high-profile event tied to Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, and recently manufactured a feud with WWE star Logan Paul at Fanatics Fest in New York City. However, Barstool’s Dave Portnoy isn’t a big fan of Brady’s post-retirement decisions.
Dave Portnoy Calls Out Tom Brady for Ruining His Legacy
Brady slapped Paul onstage during a panel on July 17, with New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns stepping in to separate them. The next day, Brady emerged from a coffin to The Undertaker’s entrance music, and on Sunday, at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, Brady and Paul exchanged middle fingers from nearby suites.
During a recent segment on “Wake Up Barstool,” Portnoy called out Brady as he believes the New England Patriots legend is ruining his legacy.
“This, to me, is one of the great downfalls of an icon with Tom Brady and the way he is acting post-retirement,” Portnoy said. “It’s a legacy that is being lamified. I use that word, people like, ‘What does that mean?’ It means he’s becoming very lame.”
Portnoy added, “It’s a guy who, very few athletes, Michael Jordan, Messi, Beckham, Gretzky, like, these are like superstars that seem so above the fray that you don’t want to see him mixed up in all sorts of lowbrow TikTok, flag football leagues in Saudi Arabia, or whatever it is, the rest, everything about him is cringey right now to me, and it’s highlighted with this wrestling stuff… And I don’t want to say it, but I’ll say it, it all started when he started hating on the Patriots.
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On X, Portnoy also wrote, “What has happened with Tom Brady post-retirement is one of the great downfalls of an icon.”
What has happened with Tom Brady post retirement is one of the great downfalls of an icon pic.twitter.com/IaTlwbZGcH
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) July 20, 2026
Portnoy isn’t the only one who isn’t fond of Brady’s beef with Logan Paul, as many fans on social media have also called out the legendary quarterback.
Given Brady’s stature as arguably the greatest NFL player ever, many expected his post-career to mirror the restrained approach of other sporting greats like Jordan, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lewis Hamilton, or Novak Djokovic, athletes who don’t go back and forth with influencers.
Brady, however, doesn’t appear bothered, as he’s leaned into the content-driven version of retirement, and, based on the engagement numbers, it’s working at least on one level. Whether it’s working for his long-term brand is the question Portnoy and a growing number of fans are asking.
