Tom Brady: NFL analyst, future Hall of Famer and science enthusiast.
On Monday, the seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback celebrated the groundbreaking development in the “de-extinction” of the dire wolf — a species that has not been seen on Earth in more than 10,000 years — following an astonishing breakthrough by Colossal Biosciences, a company Brady is on the cultural advisory board of and is a reported investor.
“So proud of the team for the hard work, passion, and countless hours that have gone into this project!!!” Brady exclaimed in an Instagram Story highlighting Time’s feature chronicling the extraordinary advancement.
Utilizing “deft genetic engineering and ancient, preserved DNA, Colossal scientists deciphered the dire wolf genome, rewrote the genetic code of the common gray wolf to match it,” Time reported, with dire wolves Romulus and Remus arriving in October via two surrogate domestic hound mixes.
Female pup Khaleesi was born in January through another surrogate.
Colossal CEO Ben Lamm echoed sentiments similar to Brady’s when praising his team.
“This massive milestone is the first of many coming examples demonstrating that our end-to-end de-extinction technology stack works,” Lamm said in a statement, according to Business Wire.
“Our team took DNA from a 13,000 year old tooth and a 72,000 year old skull and made healthy dire wolf puppies. It was once said, ‘any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.’ Today, our team gets to unveil some of the magic they are working on and its broader impact on conservation.”
In addition to Brady, 47, Colossal counts members of the “Game of Thrones” universe on the cultural advisory board, including actress Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), Kit Harrington (Jon Snow) and series author George R.R. Martin.
Dire wolves were part of the lore of the beloved HBO fantasy show that ran for eight seasons from 2011-2019.
Brady, who is two months removed from his first season as Fox’s lead NFL analyst, quipped Monday that dire wolf Remus has already gotten the hang of the limelight.
“Remus poses better than me,” Brady said of the Time cover.
Brady played for the Patriots and Buccaneers across 23 NFL seasons.
He called it a career in February 2023 before pivoting to the top Fox booth a year later.
Brady called his first Super Bowl alongside Kevin Burkhardt in February, when the Eagles trounced the Chiefs in New Orleans, 40-22.