Tom Brady Explained How Prioritizing His Football Career During His Marriage To Gisele Bündchen Made Him A Better Dad — And I’d Love To Hear Her Thoughts On This

    “Reading bedtime stories and helping them with homework are not the only ways to be a great parent.”

    Ellen Durney
    by Ellen Durney

    BuzzFeed Staff

    During the last few years of Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady’s marriage, there was a lot of chatter about how Tom was splitting his time between football and family.

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    In a 2018 docuseries about Tom’s career, Gisele expressed disappointment that her then-husband opted to continue playing football beyond 2016 after previously saying he’d retire. For context, Tom and Gisele share two children, Vivian and Benjamin, who are now aged 12 and 15. He also has a 17-year-old son, Jack, from a previous relationship.

    Person in elegant feathered gown posing on red carpet, surrounded by photographers
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    “When I met him in 2006, he said, ‘Listen, I’m just gonna play for 10 more years, I’m gonna win one Super Bowl, and I’m gonna be happy,’” Gisele recalled. “I told him last year [in 2016], ‘I think this is great, what a great win. Now you’ve won two Super Bowls, it’s the end of the tenth year.’ And I was like, ‘Woohoo, let’s go! I’m ready!’ But then he’s like, ‘No.’”

    A person in a sports jersey is surrounded by family and fans, being embraced by someone amid a crowd, likely post-event celebration
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    “Football, as far as I’m concerned, is his first love. I think it’s his main love, really quite frankly,” she added, saying in a subsequent confessional: “It’s about priorities. What are the priorities?”

    At long last, the quarterback announced his retirement in February 2022, and Gisele was among those to publicly celebrate the milestone. Then, just 40 days later, he backtracked and revealed that he wasn’t ready to give up football after all.

    A football player wearing a uniform with captain insignia, looking focused during a game
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    Reports at the time claimed that Gisele “wasn't thrilled” by Tom’s un-retirement, and in May 2022, the supermodel seemed to suggest as much during an interview with British Vogue, in which she said: “I don’t think relationships just happen; it’s never the fairy tale people want to believe it is. His focus is on his career, mine is mostly on the kids.”

    So, when Tom and Gisele divorced in October 2022 — just a few weeks after his 23rd NFL season kicked off — it was widely speculated that his unrelenting focus on football was the catalyst for the split.

    A couple in evening attire at a formal event; woman leans affectionately on man's shoulder while seated at a table with formal place settings
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    For what it’s worth, Gisele later denied this was the case, telling Vanity Fair in March 2023: “I have always cheered for him, and I would continue forever. If there’s one person I want to be the happiest in the world, it’s him, believe me. I want him to achieve and to conquer. I want all his dreams to come true.”

    As we now know, Tom’s 23rd season wound up being his last, as he officially retired (again) in February 2023. If you follow Tom on Instagram, you’ll see he spends a lot of his time with his three kids. Although, he’s also talked openly about his past failings as a dad, saying at an event in 2024: “I've screwed up a lot as a parent.”

    A football player in a jersey embraces a young girl, surrounded by three boys in matching jerseys, on a sports field
    Maddie Meyer / Getty Images

    After saying that being "a parent is probably the hardest job all of us have," Tom talked about wanting to be "dependable and consistent" for his children.

    Now, the 47-year-old has opened up about parenting again — this time, seemingly defending his decision to prioritize football while his kids were young. In the July 29 edition of his 199 newsletter, Tom pondered the balance between “personal satisfaction and professional achievement,” writing: “I think part of being a great father is being a great example of doing what it takes to take care of your family. I chose to do it by playing football.”

    A football player in uniform kisses a woman on a field with others nearby
    Boston Globe / Getty Images

    “My dedication to the sport, the hours of practice, the moments when I was laser focused—those were times when I believe I was doing the best possible thing for my family and my kids,” he wrote. “By prioritizing my profession and teaching, by example, what it takes to be really good at your job, what it takes to follow through on commitments, what it takes to be a great teammate; and showing them, also by example, that work is a big part of all of our lives.”

    Reminding readers that your children “see what you do in every aspect of your life and how you do it,” Tom highlighted that “reading bedtime stories and helping them with homework are not the only ways to be a great parent.”

    Football player in uniform sitting on the sidelines, looking focused. Number 12 jersey, with eye black on. Water bottles nearby
    Christian Petersen / Getty Images

    “And neither is winning Super Bowls or MVP,” he added. “Being a great football player didn’t make me a great dad, but how I became a great player certainly had an impact—from showing up day in and day out, to doing whatever it took to get better, be successful, be a role model, and to provide.”

    He makes some valid points...but I do have to wonder what Gisele would have to say about it all. LMK your thoughts in the comments!

    You can read Tom’s full newsletter here.