Tom Brady has publicly acknowledged that his divorce from Gisele Bündchen directly undercut his last NFL season, telling MLFootball that a “personal family issue” drained the energy he needed to perform at his peak.
At a Glance
- Brady says a “personal family issue” sapped his ability to play during his 23rd season
- The timeline aligns with the October 2022 finalization of his divorce from Bündchen
- The seven-time Super Bowl winner retired permanently in 2023 after initially stepping away in February 2022
- Why it matters: Fans now have confirmation that off-field turmoil-not age alone-shaped the legend’s uneven farewell year
Brady’s candid remarks mark the first time he has explicitly linked the end of his 13-year marriage to the struggles of his swan-song campaign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brady: “My Last Season Was Tough”
Speaking to MLFootball, the 48-year-old recalled the emotional weight of 2022.
“My last season was tough,” he said. “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.”
Although Brady did not name Bündchen, the couple filed and finalized their divorce in October 2022-smack in the middle of the season that ended in early 2023.
Retirement Timeline
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| February 2022 | Initial retirement announcement |
| Summer 2022 | Reverses decision, rejoins Buccaneers |
| October 2022 | Divorce finalized |
| Early 2023 | Plays final NFL game |
| 2023 | Permanent retirement |
Brady said the choice to return for one more year felt obligatory.
“I felt like I owed it to my teammates and coaches to give them everything I had,” he explained. “I wish it could have been a little bit better at the end. But it was just a unique situation and a unique year for me.”
Life After Football
The father of three-Benjamin, 16, Vivian, 13, and Jack, 18-has turned his focus to family and business ventures.
“I don’t have much time for a personal life or much time for myself, but I love working and I love my kids,” he told News Of Los Angeles at the Fanatics Studios launch party on January 13. “I like to be busy and try to really stay fulfilled in the things I’m doing.”
Brady reiterated a goal he set long before the divorce: be present for his children’s games.
“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,” he said.
Brief Romantic Links
Since retiring, Brady has been spotted with influencer Alix Earle at a New Year’s Eve party in St. Barths, where videos showed the pair in animated, flirty conversation. Earlier in 2024, a source told News Of Los Angeles he was casually “hooking up” with supermodel Brooks Nader.
Meanwhile, Bündchen and husband Joaquim Valente welcomed their first child together, a boy, in February 2025.
Key Takeaways
- Brady’s own words confirm that divorce stress, not merely age, hampered his finale
- The admission adds context to an otherwise pedestrian 8-9 Buccaneers season
- Retirement now allows him full focus on co-parenting and entrepreneurial projects
