J.J. Watt Ribs Tom Brady Over English Soccer Team Ownership

The NFL is a copycat league. Turns out so isn’t getting into the English soccer team ownership game.

Legendary New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady made moves on his 46th birthday Thursday by becoming a minority owner of Birmingham City FC, which resides a level down from the Premier League in the English Football League Championship.

Brady isn’t the first former NFL star to purchase a stake in an English soccer team. J.J. Watt, a five-time All-Pro who retired at the end of last season, actually became a part owner of Burnley Football Club with his wife in May.

And with Brady following a similar path to Watt along with a handful of other celebrities, the former Texans star had a little fun on social media reacting to Brady’s ownership before congratulating his retired counterpart.

“Well well well, what do we have here…” Watt tweeted in response to Brady’s announcement. “Happy for you, wishing Birmingham all the best and hope to see you in the PL real soon! Up The Clarets!”

Brady wouldn’t mind seeing Birmingham City do what Burnley did this past spring when they clinched promotion to move up from the EFL Championship to the Premier League.

Brady, who also has ownership rights with the Las Vegas Aces and Las Vegas Raiders, does have a winning pedigree, so it would be on-brand if that happened.

But for now, Watt has a leg up on Brady in this regard. Something that wasn’t uttered often, if at all, during their tenures in the NFL.