Over 18 years ago, Tom Brady wore a tieless suit in Detroit as he presented the opening coin toss for Super Bowl XL. It was a similar scene on Saturday, as Brady was back inside Ford Field -- tieless suit and all -- while making a surprise appearance at a UFL game.
Brady was seen chatting before the game with Memphis Showboats coach John DeFilippo, who in 2017 won a Super Bowl at Brady's expense while serving as the Eagles' quarterbacks coach. Brady also spent some time talking with Showboats quarterback Case Cookus, whose pro career includes time with five NFL teams and a USFL Championship game start with the Philadelphia Stars back in 2022.
Brady loves football and has Michigan ties (he served as the Wolverine's starting quarterback from 1998-99), so his presence at Saturday's Showboats-Michigan Panthers game shouldn't be too big of a surprise. Along with those connections, Brady's appearance may have something to do with his new role as an analyst for Fox.
Fox is hosting this year's UFL title game, which will take place in St. Louis on June 16. Brady -- who will serve as the network's lead NFL color analyst this fall -- might be considering getting an early start on his new career by contributing to Fox's UFL championship game coverage, hence his decision to take in Saturday's game.