The pants worn by former NFL quarterback Tom Brady during his final career game sold for nearly $90,000 at auction this week.
The final bid for the pants reached $89,100 in an online auction hosted by the Arizona-based auction house Grey Flannel Auctions, known for selling high-profile sports memorabilia.
Authenticated by MeiGray, the dark gray pants were worn by the seven-time Super Bowl champ during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card round at Raymond James Stadium on Jan. 16, 2023. The listing did not say whether or not the used pants were washed before being put up for auction.
While $89,100 may seem ridiculous to pay for game-worn clothing, it doesn’t come close to some of the most expensive sports memorabilia items of all time.
Brady’s own game-worn Buccaneers jersey sold for $480,000 back in 2022, according to ESPN.
Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals Chicago Bulls jersey is still the highest-selling sports clothing item at a record $10.1 million, ESPN said.
Coincidentally, a rare prototype pair of Nike Air Jordan sneakers in the “banned” colorway recently sold for over $325,000 during the same Grey Flannel auction as Brady’s pants. The black-and-red shoes were the birth of one of the most recognizable brands today, marked simply with the words “Air Jordan” because they predate the “Jumpman” and “wings” logos seen today.
The most expensive sports pants to be auctioned off belonged to Babe Ruth, CBS News said. His pants worn during his 1921 season with the New York Yankees sold for a record $183,500 at auction in 2012.
Less than a month after his final game in 2023, Brady announced he was retiring from the sport (for real this time). He played for the New England Patriots for most of his career, 20 seasons, before heading south to the Buccaneers for three.
Brady, who will make his broadcast debut in the fall as Fox Sports’ lead football color commentator, was inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame on Wednesday after team owner Robert Kraft expedited his entry.
