'Took a lot out of me': Tom Brady on navigating divorce from Gisele during last NFL season

Tom Brady has opened up about navigating personal issues during his final NFL season.

The 48-year-old spoke on The Herd with Colin Cowherd about reversing his retirement and it affecting his family life.

"My last season was tough. I was going through [and] I had a lot of, you know, just a personal family issue," the dad-of-three shared on the podcast.

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"It was a challenge. It just took a lot out of me in terms of my ability to play."

He continued, "I had 23 years of [football] so I didn't feel like I was missing anything by retiring. I felt, like, 'OK, this is time'.

"I always had a goal [of] 45. I was 45 years old, I wanted to spend time with my kids [and this was] time for me to be at all my kids' games. They've been to enough of their dad's games."

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Brady admitted, "It's hard to give up football, too. It's something you love to do. You love being out there with your teammates. … When I got older, I almost enjoyed practice more than playing because playing [was] almost like a relief to win. I was, like, 'What's another win gonna do for people?' It's never satisfying, even for me."

The dad of three has fathered son Jack, 18, with former partner Bridget Moynahan and Benjamin, 16, and Vivian, 12, with his ex-wife, model Gisele Bundchen.

Brady's NFL career was a point of tension in his marriage with Bundchen, with the star having reversed his decision to retire in March 2022 after just six weeks.

The pair eventually divorced in October 2022 after 13 years of marriage, as Brady continued to play another season of NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He officially retired in February 2023.

Since then, Bundchen has moved on with jiu jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente, welcoming their first child in February 2025 after confirming their relationship in June 2023. They wed in December 2025.

Brady has since been linked with model Irina Shayk and Modern Family star Sofia Vergara.

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