Tom Brady's Facebook Watch series, "Tom vs. Time" ended in ominous fashion. In the final episode, which was released Monday, Brady appears to question why he's still playing football. "When you lose your conviction, you probably should be doing something else," he says to close the series.
On top of that, Gisele Bundchen says her husband wants to feel "appreciated," a possible reference to the reported rift between Brady and Bill Belichick.
The series' director, Gotham Chopra, adds further context to the couple's cryptic remarks in a recent interview with Peter King's MMQB podcast.
"I think the last two seasons –– and that is kind of what Gisele says in that last interview –– have been very challenging for (Brady), both because of stuff off the field, going back to the suspension, his mom getting unwell, etc," Chopra says. "But also, it's an 18-year marriage, and it's been an incredibly successful run. There's a lot of intensity and a lot of pressure and a lot of big personalities. Tom is one of them. I think that hasn't been easy."
Earlier in the series, Brady makes it appear as if he wants to play football for several more years. In Episode 5, for example, he says he feels he's still in the first half of his career. But entering this offseason, it's apparent his feelings have changed.
"This is a very different offseason for him," Chopra says. "That's not necessarily what happened during the season. It's the fact that he's got three growing kids, a wife who's like, 'Hey, you know, I've been putting stuff on hold for a while, and I want to go out and do my thing now, too.' So Tom is juggling a lot of things, and I think that's basically what he says at the end: 'I've got to recalibrate, and I have to find that conviction again.'"
While Chopra expects Brady to play next season, the filmmaker discounts the notion that Brady, who turns 41 in August, will play until his mid-40s.
"I think this idea that he's going to play for four or five more seasons –– I mean, this is just me, the guy who's been around him for a while now –– I'd have a hard time envisioning that, to be candid," Chopra explains. "But we'll see. I do think these next few weeks and months are a very critical time for him."
