Tom Brady’s production partner Gotham Chopra told us the final edition of “Man in the Arena” would be delayed because Brady needed some time to digest the season. Shortly thereafter, Brady retired from the NFL, only to return 40 days later. The shocking turn of events begged the question: would Brady address his stunning offseason in the climax of his docuseries?
Well, episode 10 of “Man in the Arena” was released Monday night, and we got our answer.
Nope.
The only insight we receive comes in the form of two vague soliloquies about joy and happiness that bookend the episode. In the first scene, Brady talks about his desire to keep playing, and fear of walking away.
“When I’m really joyful and fun and I’m in the moment, it’s usually me being on the football field,” he says. “I have other moments like that off the field, I think with my family, but football has been this place for me to really find so many of these current thoughts and be in the present and live a really joyful life as a result of being a professional athlete.”
After playing up his desire to spend time with family and pursue other interests— themes that were paramount in the episodes about his last days with the Patriots — Brady admits he’s only truly satisfied on the football field. He’s been the greatest of all-time for the bulk of his adult life, and seems almost afraid to step into the background.
“If you stop the hamster wheel, then maybe there’s a fear you won’t ever be able to get back on,” he said. “What’s going to bring me the joy as I move forward?”
Of course, 40 days isn’t enough time to answer that question, or come to any profound personal conclusions. We know there’s more to the story about what went down with Brady this winter, but he refuses to tell us.
He is, however, more than willing to needle the Patriots. At various points, Brady talks about how much fun he experienced during his first season with the Buccaneers. Tom Brady Sr., who makes his first cameo in the series, says his son needed to leave Foxborough in order to rediscover his passion for the game.
“It became pretty obvious that he needed to make a change. It was wearing him down, it was beating him up,” he offers.
As a free agent, Brady says he was looking to find a team that fit his myriad of preferences, though he insinuates there weren’t many serious suitors. This is when Brady is probably at his most truthful. For a few moments, he sheds his inner-reflection for outward bombast. “In my mind I’m thinking, ‘If you’re another team, and you’re not interested in having me as your quarterback, what the f— is wrong with you?,” he says.
That might be the closest we’ll ever get to learning how Brady’s mind works. He’s a maniacal competitor who expects excellence. Those kinds of people don’t willingly quit after they’ve led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns.
Even though Brady won’t say it, it’s apparent he was distraught over how Tampa Bay’s season ended in 2021. His parting words are a message to his kids: don’t be (too much) like dad.
“There are imbalances in my life, and I hope they don’t take things as far as I’ve taken them,” Brady says. “I want them to experience great success in whatever they do, but there’s a torment about me that I don’t wish upon them.”
That torment didn’t leave Brady for the month of February, only to return in early March. It’s on the fans to fill in the blanks, provided they still care.
