Tom Brady says divorce made his final NFL season 'tough'

People reports Tom Brady told MLFootball that his 23rd and final NFL season was "tough" as he navigated "a personal family issue" that he said affected his ability to play.

Brady, 48, said, "My last season was tough. I was going through, I had a lot of, you know, a personal family issue," and added that it "took a lot out of me in terms of, you know, my ability to play." His final season concluded in 2023; he initially announced his retirement in February 2022 but returned for a third season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after 20 seasons with the New England Patriots.

He said he "tried to put as much as [he] could into" the season and felt he owed his teammates and coaches, though "I wish it could have been a little bit better at the end." Permanently retired in 2023, Brady has said he is prioritizing his children and work — at the Fanatics Studios launch party on Tuesday, Jan. 13 he said he doesn't have much time for a personal life but loves working and his kids. He shares Benjamin, 16, and Vivian, 13, with Gisele Bündchen and a son, Jack, 18, with ex Bridget Moynahan; he was spotted with influencer Alix Earle on New Year's Eve in St. Barths and had been linked to model Brooks Nader in 2024, and Bündchen and her now-husband, Joaquim Valente, welcomed a son in February 2025.

Key Topics

Sports, Tom Brady, Gisele Bündchen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, Divorce