For the first time since announcing his divorce, Tom Brady appeared on his weekly podcast Let’s Go!, addressing his split with Gisele Bundchen when prompted by host Jim Gray. While Brady acknowledged the “challenges” presented by his current circumstances, having his personal life play out in the media, the veteran signal-caller insists his mindset hasn’t changed, preferring to focus on what he can control, which is being a present father for his three children and the best player he can be for his Buccaneers teammates.
“There are a lot of professionals in life that go through things that they deal with at work and they deal with at home. The good news is, it’s a very amicable situation and I’m really focused on two things—taking care of my family and certainly my children and, secondly, doing the best job I can to win football games,” said Brady, who, through eight games, is on pace for his fewest touchdowns since 2008, the year he tore his ACL in the first quarter of New England’s season opener. “That’s what professionals do. You focus at work when it’s time to work and when you come home, you focus on the priorities that are at home and all you can do is the best you can do.”
Friday was Brady’s first public acknowledgment of what had already been in the tabloids for months, dating back to the quarterback’s mysterious absence from Bucs training camp this summer, a warning that his marriage might be in peril. After a brief separation, the couple filed for divorce last week, dissolving what had been a 13-year partnership.
“I’ve dealt with a lot of challenging situations on and off the field over 23 years and a lot of it does play out in front of a lot of people. I think the interesting thing for a football player and athletes in general is, we’re not actors. Even though we’re on TV, that is our real self out there. We’re trying to do our best. That’s how people really have gotten to know me over the years,” said Brady, not making any excuses for his recent on-field performance, which has fallen well short of expectations. “Everyone’s going through different things. We all have our unique challenges in life. We’re all humans and we do the best we can do. I have incredible parents that have always taught me the right way to do things. I want to be a great father to my children and always try to do things the right way as well.”
Brady’s demeanor, appearing noticeably agitated with the body language of someone in crisis, has been a frequent talking point, with many wondering if this will be his final NFL season. Despite Tampa Bay’s early struggles (3-5), they’re only a game out of first in the NFC South, with a .500 or better finish all but assuring the Bucs a home playoff game in January. The 45-year-old has made a habit of making doubters eat their words, though the confluence of Brady’s declining physical ability, setbacks in his personal life and an underachieving team in desperate search of an identity might ultimately be too many obstacles to overcome.
“I always want to be able to hold my head high on and off the field,” said Brady, who, later in the interview, congratulated former coach Bill Belichick on passing George Halas for second on the NFL’s all-time wins list with 325 combined regular and postseason victories. “And I’m going to try and continue to do that for as long as I can.”
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