Tom Brady has reflected on how his divorce from supermodel Gisele Bündchen cast a shadow over his final year in the National Football League, describing it as one of the most emotionally challenging periods of his career.
Read More: Tom Brady honours Gisele and Bridget Moynahan
In an interview with MLFootball, the 48-year-old former quarterback acknowledged that the end of his 13-year marriage had a significant impact on his performance and mindset during his last season. The couple finalized their divorce in October 2022.
“My last season was tough. I was going through, I had a lot of, you know, a personal family issue. And it was a challenge and it was very … it just took a lot out of me in terms of, you know, my ability to play,” Brady said. He had previously retired from football in February 2022, only to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for one more year before officially stepping away in 2023.
Brady explained that family considerations ultimately guided his decision to retire for good after a 23-year NFL career, noting that the sport had defined much of his life but no longer aligned with his priorities. “I had 23 years of [football] so I didn’t think I was missing anything, retiring. I felt like I always had a goal — 45. I was 45 years old, I wanted to spend time with my kids,” he said. “They’ve been to enough of their dad’s games.”
Read More: Tom Brady sparks dating rumours after New Year’s sighting
Despite the emotional strain of the divorce, Brady maintained that he remained professionally committed until the end of the season. Brady shares two children, Benjamin and Vivian, with Bündchen and has a son, Jack, from a previous relationship with actress Bridget Moynahan.