Tom Brady opens up on the toll his divorce from Gisele Bundchen took on him in his final NFL season
FOX Sports analyst and seven-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady opened up about his tough final season in the NFL – and the toll it took on his marriage to Gisele Bundchen.
Brady, 48, was asked on ‘The Herd’ about the possible retirement of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the decision the 42-year-old has to make.
In his answer, Brady talked about his own last season – which was impacted by his divorce from Bundchen which happened in the middle of the campaign.
‘My last season was tough. I was going through a lot of just a personal family issue, and it was a challenge, and it was a very… It just took a lot out of me in terms of my ability to continue to play,’ Brady admitted on the show.
‘And I had 23 years of it, so I didn’t feel like I was missing anything retiring. I felt like, okay, this is time. I always had a goal, 45. I was 45 years old. I wanted to spend time with my kids. I felt like, “okay, Now it’s time for me to be at all my kids’ games.” They’ve been enough of their dad’s games.’
The end of Brady’s marriage came after he faced pressure from Bundchen to give up the sport after he initially announced his retirement after the 2021 season.
Tom Brady revealed the tough decision he faced when retiring from football
Brady was asked about the pressure that Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers is dealing with
In his answer, Brady spoke about the personal turmoil he faced that led to his divorce from his wife of 13 years, Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen
Instead, Brady did a U-Turn and came back for the 2022 campaign, much to the chagrin of his then-wife.
In the midst of the season, Bundchen filed for divorce – ending their marriage after 13 years.
Three years after splitting from Brady, Bundchen married fiance Joaquim Valente on December 3.
The wedding came shortly after the Brazilian supermodel and Valente, a jiu-jitsu instructor, welcomed their first child together, a baby boy. Bundchen and Valente reportedly began seeing each other in the midst of her divorce from Brady.
The Daily Mail understands that Brady was aware that the low-key wedding was taking place. News of Bundchen’s second marriage became public knowledge last week.
Insiders insist the former quarterback is taking the news ‘in stride’ and remains focused on his children.
‘It wasn’t a secret to him. They still have to talk because of the kids, and important milestones like her getting married was something she wasn’t going to keep secret. He’s happy in a way that is simple: he’s happy that she is happy,’ a source told Daily Mail.
‘Down the line he might get married again and he would want her to be OK with that, so he has to be OK about it,’ the insider said.
Bundchen has since re-married her jiu jitsu instructor and has given birth to a child
Brady advised Rodgers to not return to the NFL unless he could commit for an entire season
As for his advice to Rodgers, Brady acknowledged how difficult it was to stop playing – but cautioned the former Packers man to not commit to a season unless he was ready to go all the way.
‘It’s hard to give up football, too,’ Brady admitted. ‘It’s something that we’re really good at. It’s something you love to do. You love being out there with your teammates.’
He continued, ‘I felt like I owed it to my teammates and coaches to give them everything I had. I wish it could have been a little bit better at the end, but it was just a unique situation, a unique year for me.’
After comparing a football season to a marathon where the ‘middle 20 miles’ are the hardest, Brady concluded, ‘So to me, it’s do you want to make the commitment year round?
‘Because if you don’t, well, then it’s never going to turn out well when the season happens. In order to be a great NFL player, you’ve got to commit and be fully in. And that’s the only way your team is going to have a chance to win, especially when you’re a starting quarterback. And only Aaron can decide that for himself.’
