Tom Brady Details His Thoughts On Retirement Following Gisele Bundchen Divorce

With seven Super Bowl championships and three NFL MVPs to his name, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterback Tom Brady is the GOAT. But 2022 has introduced fans to a new side of the athlete. In February, Brady announced his retirement from the sport — only to make a U-turn not 60 days later. "These past two months I've realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands," he tweeted. "That time will come. But it's not now. ... I'm coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa."

However, dreams of Super Bowl glory continue to evade Brady. TB12 has weathered a rocky season, which includes a three-game losing streak, a losing record (as of this writing), and one spiked tablet. The aforementioned tablet computer was the target of Brady's frustration as his team trailed the New Orleans Saints back in September, leading him to issue an apology on Twitter. Things have been equally rough for Brady off the field, as he announced the dissolution of his 13-year marriage to Gisele Bündchen in November.

And while he might be back on the market, Brady isn't fishing in the dating pool just yet. Instead, he's taking a thoughtful approach to his newly-single life by prioritizing his mental health. "You wake up every day trying to do the best you can do, understanding that life has its stresses," he shared on an October episode of his "Let's Go!" podcast. Does prioritizing his personal life mean that Brady will finally leave the field for good?

Since rescinding his retirement, Tom Brady has been peppered with questions from reporters about when he'll quit throwing the pigskin. In October, he addressed the elephant in the room by telling reporters he had no plans to retire anytime soon. "I love the sport, I love the teammates, and I wanna do a great job for this team like I always have," he said in a clip posted to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Instagram. "So, no retirement in my future."

Perhaps the public announcement of his divorce has given Brady a new lease on life. On November 28, he struck a new chord on his "Let's Go!" podcast, telling co-host Jim Gray that he was "on borrowed time, anyway." Stressing that his focus is on the "day-to-day, game-to-game," Brady added, "Really, I'm just focused on what we need to do to improve this week ... I love the sport, so I love the preparation for it. I love seeing us improve and get better."

Earlier in the year, Brady got real about how his success on the field has come at the expense of his personal life. "I think the point is everything really comes at a cost — to choose one thing and not another," he said in a conversation with Us Weekly. Certainly, his recent divorce seems to back that up. Here's to hoping Brady finds peace and fulfillment, both on and off the field.