Why We're Worried About Tom Brady

Tom Brady is no stranger to making headlines. Who could forget the infamous Deflategate scandal following the 2015 AFC title game against the Indianapolis Colts? Brady, who was the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots at the time, denied having any part in football tampering, but an investigation found that he apparently was clued in after all. The athlete was suspended for four games as a result.

In August 2022, Brady was involved in another NFL scandal. This time, an investigation revealed that the football star and his agent had been speaking to the Miami Dolphins about becoming involved with the team. These conversations violate NFL rules because Brady was under contract with the Patriots at the time, per NBC Sports. "Those discussions ... focused on Mr. Brady becoming a limited partner in the Dolphins and possibly serving as a football executive, although at times they also included the possibility of his playing for the Dolphins," the NFL's report read in part.

A few months before that story broke, Brady announced his NFL retirement – only to make a not-so-well-received comeback just a handful of weeks later. Keep reading to find out why this is just one of the many reasons why we're worried about Tom Brady.

In March 2020, Tom Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after spending 20 seasons — and winning multiple Super Bowls — with the New England Patriots. The following year, he led the Bucs to victory, racking up his seventh Super Bowl win. And then, in February 2022, he announced his retirement, leading many to believe he was done with the game once and for all.

A little over a month later, the quarterback took to Twitter to share the surprising news. "These past two months I've realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands," Brady wrote. "That time will come. But it's not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I'm coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG." All of Twitter basically made the record scratch sound effect at the same time.

The football player discussed his decision to return for another season with the Buccaneers during an interview on the "Dan Patrick Show." "We had quite a bit of time together," Brady said of spending time with his wife, Gisele Bündchen, before his NFL return. "And I think mostly when I kind of told the team, look, like, 'You guys gotta make plans without me.' And then [general manager] Jason [Licht] and [former coach] Bruce [Arians] said just give it time, you know? I said, 'Look, I feel pretty strongly.'"

Tom Brady raised concerns when he missed 11 days of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp in 2022. Fans had no idea why the athlete decided to take a hiatus, so they were left to come up with their own theories, as noted in Sports Illustrated. Some thought he may have taken time off to appear on "The Masked Singer," while others guessed that he regretted his return to the NFL and was ready to walk away from football for good. According to NFL News, sources claimed that Brady's absence had to do with his wife, Gisele Bündchen, and their children. Before The football player returned to the NFL, he had reportedly planned a vacation with his family, and he took the 11 days off to stick to this commitment.

Brady addressed his hiatus himself during a press conference, but he didn't exactly provide confused fans with answers to their questions. The quarterback was strategically vague. "Everyone has different situations they're dealing with and we all have unique challenges to our lives," he said, per TMZ Sports. "I'm 45 years old, man. There's a lot of s**t going on, so you just have to try and figure out life the best you can. You know, it's a continuous process."

Tom Brady's wife, Gisele Bündchen, has been supportive of his football career over the years, but reports suggest that the athlete's demanding job is what finally ended his marriage. In September 2022, word got around that Bündchen was supposedly upset about Brady's decision to return to the NFL after he had previously planned to retire. An anonymous source claimed to Page Six, "There's been trouble in the marriage over his decision to un-retire. Gisele has always been the one with the kids. They had agreed he would retire to focus on the family, then he changed his mind."

People later reported that Bündchen hired a divorce lawyer. However, a source told Page Six that Brady wanted to win his wife back. "Tom is still hoping they can reconcile," they claimed amid reports that the couple remained separated after Gisele returned home from Costa Rica. "Gisele has told him she's leaving him before, and they always made up when she cooled down." Well... it looks like Bündchen was actually serious about ending things this time. Of course, there is a chance the stress of going through divorce took a toll on Brady and his performance.

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen finalized their divorce on October 28, 2022, per People. It looks like those rumors of relationship troubles stemming from Brady's demanding career may have been true. Both stars took to Instagram Stories (via Sports Illustrated) to confirm their separation after 13 long years together. "The decision to end a marriage is never easy but we have grown apart and while it is, of course, difficult to go through something like this, I feel blessed for the time we had together and only wish the best for Tom always," Bündchen's statement read in part. Brady's message read: "We arrived at this decision amicably and with gratitude for the time we spent together. We are blessed with beautiful and wonderful children who will continue to be the center of our world in every way. We will continue to work together as parent to always ensure they receive the love an attention they deserve."

An anonymous source alleged that the divorce was Bündchen's idea. "She is playing offense and he is playing defense. He wants to protect himself, protect his interests, but he's only starting to go the legal route in his defense from her," they alleged, per People. This might not come as a surprise for fans who remember that the model was reportedly upset about Brady's return to the NFL after his very brief retirement.

Following a September 2022 press conference, a lot was made about Tom Brady's appearance. Some fans said the athlete looked noticeably thinner in the footage, particularly in his face. "Is...Tom Brady okay?," a Twitter user penned in reaction to the quarterback's new look. A separate press conference led some fans to believe Brady had gone under the knife during his hiatus — that's right, many believe his slimmer face be the result of cosmetic enhancements. A number of social media users took to Twitter to speculate, writing things like, "Tom Brady 100% had plastic surgery."

Whatever the case may be, there is no denying Brady's body has gone through a lot over the years — after all, the guy's played pro football for over two decades. As he said on an October 2022 episode of the "Let's Go!" podcast, "Football is such a contact sport. It's one thing to prepare for the season and so forth, but so much of the sport involves recovery. If football's a demolition derby, how quickly can you repair your body to be prepared for next week?"

In October 2022, Tom Brady landed in hot water yet again. This time, it was because of something he said on the "Let's Go!" podcast. On an October 2022 episode, the QB made an offhand comment that he likely regretted soon after. "I almost look at like a football season like you're going away on deployment in the military, and it's like, 'Man, here I go again,'" he said. As you might imagine, many listeners were upset that the athlete basically compared playing professional football to serving in the military.

Brady later apologized for his controversial statement during a press conference. He also admitted that the comparison was in poor taste, although we're not sure if this was enough to win back upset listeners. "Earlier this week, I made a statement about playing football and the military and it was a very poor choice of words," he said at the beginning of the conference. "And I just want to express that to any sentiments out there, that people may have taken it in a certain way, so I apologize."

Unfortunately for Tom Brady, his return to the NFL has not exactly been a victory lap. His poor performance raised questions about why he decided to come out of retirement in the first place. "I love my guy Tom Brady but he needs to hang it up after the year is over. For good," one Twitter user wrote in part. Sportswriters also had questions. Following the Buccaneers' Week 7 loss to the Carolina Panthers, CBS Sports wondered what was going on with the star QB; The Ringer asked if Tampa Bay's season was a lost cause.

Some even wondered whether they could expect the quarterback to announce a midseason retirement. Brady addressed this speculation head-on during an October 2022 episode of his "Let's Go!" podcast. "I said last week that there's no immediate retirement in my future," the NFL star shared. "There was a retirement in the past, but I moved on from that. I made a commitment to this team and I love this team and I love this organization." He went on to share that he planned to see the season thing through, even if it doesn't turn a corner. "I know a bunch of teammates that we all count on one another to be at our best and to work hard and to put the team first," he said. "And that's what you commit to and that's what you want your teammates to commit to as well."

As of this writing, Tom Brady has played in the NFL for 23 seasons, and he famously has numerous records under his belt. The football player is even often referred to as the "greatest quarterback of all time." Most of Brady's accolades are incredibly impressive, but a record he broke in his 23rd season likely left many fans concerned. During a game against the Baltimore Ravens in October 2022, the football player became the most-sacked quarterback of all time. Brady was 45-years-old at the time he broke this record, so fans may be questioning how this has impacted his health. Can the NFL star afford injuries at this point in his career? It seems that Gisele Bündchen doesn't think so.

Prior to her divorce, the model shared she was concerned about her then-husband's health after his 2016 concussion. "I just have to say, as a wife, I'm a little bit — as you know, it's not the most — let's say [it's] an aggressive sport," Bündchen said in an interview for "Charlie Rose" in 2017. "Football, like he had a concussion last year, I mean, he has concussions, pretty much, I mean, we don't talk about [it] but he does have concussions. I don't really think it's a healthy thing for your body to go through like — you know, to that kind of aggression all the time."