Ben Affleck gets real about losing his passion for NFL after Tom Brady’s exit

Actor and filmmaker Ben Affleck shared that he’s not as into the NFL as he once was. On Wednesday’s episode of the “New Heights” podcast with Travis and Jason Kelce, Affleck said he stopped following football closely after Tom Brady left the New England Patriots.

Affleck shared he used to care about draft picks and combine stats, but now he just watches the NFL casually.

“I'm like—I could tell a fucking guy's combine numbers and shit, you know what I mean? Yeah. Just like ... who looks like ... I'm not that into this," the actor said. "Kind of like when Tom left New England and that whole thing. I was like, I had to step back from—I was kind of like—I stopped."

“She started making sense to me, and I kind of didn't know...the Star Wars NFL more casually. I used to be more into, like, who we could get, who's the draft pick. And now I kind of find myself a little conflicted,” Affleck said (48:16).

Brady left the Patriots in 2020, having played there for 20 years. In the latest edition of his newsletter, Brady said the decision took a few years to make. He and coach Bill Belichick started to move in different directions, and the team’s roster didn’t help him finish his career the way he wanted. That’s why he chose to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The 47-year-old mentioned he made a list of things that mattered most to him, like having good teammates, a good coach and warm weather. He gave each item a score and said Tampa Bay came out on top. In three years with the Bucs, Brady threw 108 TDs and won another Super Bowl.

Even though Brady and Belichick had some tension near the end, they’ve shown respect for each other since leaving the game.

Affleck’s comments show how Brady’s exit affected fans, too.

Tom Brady may soon face Eli Manning again on the business side of the NFL

Tom Brady and Eli Manning’s rivalry extends beyond football and into NFL ownership. Brady, who owns a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, may soon see a familiar competitor make a similar move.

According to Bloomberg’s Tuesday report, Manning is putting together a small investment group to buy off a minority share in the New York Giants.

In February, the Giants announced that the Mara and Tisch families had hired Moelis & Co. to explore the sale of a non-controlling ownership stake. Sources suggest Manning has been in contact with potential backers. However, those involved have not been named publicly due to confidentiality agreements.

If successful, Manning’s bid would mark another chapter in a long-standing rivalry with Brady that now includes the business side of the NFL. No deal has been finalized as of yet.