Following his highly public divorce from Gisele Bündchen in 2022, no one ever believed they would ever see seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady step into the modeling field. And yet, Tom Brady is here, making his first-ever Gucci modeling debut, while following in the steps of his ex-wife, one of the highest-paid models since 2021.

“@tombrady looks very #GucciCore tonight,” captioned Harper’s BAZAAR an Instagram reel. “The Football star just walked the runway at the @gucci Cruise show in the middle of Times Square.”

On Saturday night, Tom Brady walked the Gucci Cruise 2027 runway in Times Square in New York City. Hand-selected by Demna, Brady walked the outdoor runway wearing an all-black, head-to-toe leather outfit with a jacket, pants, and biker boots. While it seemed like a usual chore for Brady, this was his first time making a runway walk.

Alongside Brady, celebrities like Paris Hilton and Emily Ratajkowski also walked the runway, while legendary supermodel Cindy Crawford closed the show. Also, some of the high-profile guests watching from the front row included Kim Kardashian, Mariah Carey, Anna Wintour, and Lindsay Lohan.

While this Gucci runway walk was Brady’s debut, he is well accustomed to the broader aspect of the fashion industry, which is modelling. The former NFL star officially stepped into modeling with a GQ cover look and a major multi-page spread in VMan Magazine in 2007.

Following that, Brady gradually became a model and global ambassador for several brands, including Under Armour (2010), UGG Australia (2011), and TAG Heuer (2015). In 2022, he co-founded his own menswear fashion label, BRADY, alongside Jens Grede (co-founder of Skims) and designer Dao-Yi Chow.

Brady served as the primary model for the brand’s “Train” and “Live” athleisure collections, and he also cast elite NCAA college athletes to model alongside him. Notably, former Jackson State and current Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders also participated in the brand’s inaugural campaign.

“Tom has been a longtime mentor to me, both on and off the field, and I’ve been a fan of his apparel brand since its inception,” said Sanders in a statement in 2022. “So this partnership feels like a natural next step.”

So, that implies Brady’s profound interest in modelling. However, when it comes to walking a runway, the seven-time Super Bowl champion isn’t the only NFL personality to take on this challenge. In June 2024, Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow walked the runway at Vogue World: Paris 2024, wearing a backless black suit designed by Peter Do.

While fans were excited about the crossover between football and the fashion industry, Burrow’s outfit did warrant some negative reactions. And something similar has buzzed among netizens after watching Brady at the Gucci show.

Fans seem confused watching Tom Brady’s Gucci modelling debut

The Instagram reel posted by Harper’s BAZAAR gained over 3,000 likes and 150 comments in 14 hours. But not all were praising Brady for his looks or runway walk; some straight up called out the seven-time Super Bowl champion, on his “plastic looks” and trolled him for his walk.

One Instagram user commented, “Terminator!? Is that u?” under the post, referring to The Terminator, an American science-fiction action franchise, where Arnold Schwarzenegger played the role of an indestructible assassin robot.

While that particular fan compared Brady to Terminator, another directly targeted him with a similar perspective. “He looks like a ridiculous plastic robot, no need to do this, and why would he be so goofy?” the fan commented.

Meanwhile, a few others questioned his activity. Post football, the 48-year-old is seemingly everywhere from sports broadcasting, professional team ownership, health-tech ventures, to entertainment. “Oh no, he is into everything these days. Not a good look for the GOAT in my opinion,” commented the fan.

However, some also praised Brady’s looks, adding, “Damn, he looks good 🔥🔥,” wrote one user. While another user left some constructive feedback on the former NFL star’s walk. “He needs to work on his walk.”

“That is how an athlete walks…he is gorgeous. Should be a model if everything does not work out for him,” a fan wrote. But while the reactions to his runway walk debut were mixed, Brady just unlocked another quest at 48.