Former NFL QB Tom Brady has achieved a godlike sports status that most pro athletes only dream of. In addition to smashing or setting record after record, he was consistently great. That is very hard to do. Brady's stunning career with the New England Patriots and then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may never be equaled or surpassed. Not only that, but the seven-time Super Bowl champ is also pretty well-liked and respected.
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Brady, 48, has managed to keep his private thoughts and emotions largely buttoned up and out of sight. However, Brady recently opened up with Colin Cowherd on The Herd about one of the most challenging chapters in his life - his 2022 divorce from supermodel Gisele Bundchen. He was upfront about how his off-field marital turmoil impacted his playing. We seldom saw Brady's vulnerable side when he was leading a team to victory, but it was on full display in this revealing interview.
Brady's Marital Woes Weighed on Him as His Football Career Came to a Close
Brady and Bunchen's split made as many headlines as their respective careers did. Everyone wondered what precipitated it. For 13 years, the strikingly good-looking pair seemed so content. But things unraveled and led to a permanent breakup. Bundchen has definitely moved on. She wed Joachim Valente in 2025, and they have a son who is almost one year old. She and Tom Brady have two children, Benjamin and Vivian. He also has a son named Jack from a relationship with actress Bridget Moynahan.
Brady shared with Cowherd that "My last season was tough. I was going through... I had a lot of, you know, just a personal, family issue, and it was a challenge. It was very ... it just took a lot out of me in terms of, you know, my ability to continue to play. I had 23 years of (football), so I didn't feel like I was missing anything, retiring."
He Knew It Was Time To Hang up His Cleats
Brady realized that his priorities were changing. He was in his mid-40s. His kids were getting older. It was time to finally bring down the curtain on his miraculous career. He told Colin Cowherd, "I felt like, okay, this 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 to enough of their dad's games."
