Tom Brady is arguably the greatest player to ever play in the NFL and had success all the way until his age 45 season. However, his final season wasn’t easy for him, on both a team and a personal level.
While he still put up a strong statistical season, Brady’s divorce from Gisele Bündchen affected his final season and played a role in his decision to hang up his cleats.
Tom Brady Opens Up on How He Knew It Was Time To Retire
Amid his 23rd and final season in the NFL, Brady and his wife, Bündchen, divorced, with the divorce finalized and made public in October of 2022. While many people are thinking about factors affecting the team, including injuries, team chemistry, and more, it’s easy to forget that athletes are human beings, and personal troubles can impact play as well.
On “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” Brady said, “My last season was tough, I had a lot of family issues. It just took a lot out of me in terms of my ability to continue to play. I had 23 years of it, so I didn’t feel like I was missing anything retiring.”
Brady still put forth a strong season, while leading the NFL in completions and attempts, but the season wasn’t up to the standards fans had come to expect from Brady. He ranked as the No. 21 quarterback in the PFSN Quarterback Impact rankings (QBi), while completing 66.8% of his passes, for 4,694 yards, 25 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
However, the biggest disappointment on the field was the team’s success. Brady finished with a losing record for the first time in his NFL career, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished with an 8-9 record. However, due to a weak division, that was enough to win the NFC South and make the postseason.
But, as with the rest of the season, the result was disappointing: Tampa Bay fell 31-14 to the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round of the 2023 NFL season. Combine his age with the massive changes to his family and personal life, and it’s easy to see why Brady determined that it was time to call it a career and walk away from football.
While it was likely not an easy decision, it’s fair to say that Brady made the most of his NFL career, retiring as a seven-time Super Bowl Champion, five-time Super Bowl MVP, three-time NFL MVP, and the all-time leader in nearly every statistical passing category.
The future Hall-of-Fame quarterback seems to be at peace with his decision, while moving on to the next stage of his life as the color analyst for Fox NFL broadcasts.
Bündchen has since married jiu jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente, while Brady has been linked to Irina Shayk and Alix Earle, but has denied dating rumors and remains focused on his work and his kids.
Regardless of what happens in his personal life, Brady figures to stay in the public eye due to his role with Fox, his minority ownership of the Las Vegas Raiders, and his eventual induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which he becomes eligible for in 2028.
