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Tom Brady reveals divorce struggles impacted final NFL season performance

Jan 16, 2026, 3:58 PM20
(Update: Jan 16, 2026, 4:07 PM)
American football player (born 1977)
professional American football league

Tom Brady reveals divorce struggles impacted final NFL season performance

  • Tom Brady faced personal challenges during the 2022 NFL season due to his divorce from Gisele Bündchen.
  • Despite these challenges, he maintained impressive statistics during his final season, completing nearly 67% of his passes.
  • Brady ultimately decided to retire and focus more on parenting and spending time with his children.
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In the United States, during the 2022 NFL season, Tom Brady faced considerable personal challenges stemming from his high-profile divorce from Gisele Bündchen. This split followed 13 years of marriage, which had a significant emotional toll on Brady as he engaged in his final season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Despite his experience of over two decades in the NFL, including being a seven-time Super Bowl champion, the pressures of his personal life proved difficult to manage while simultaneously focusing on professional commitments. He described the 2022-2023 football season as 'tough' due to the personal turmoil he experienced, likening it to a 'personal family issue.' Brady’s performance that season was impacted, leading to the only record in his career that fell below .500, where the Buccaneers ended with an 8-9 record yet still won the NFC South. Despite these struggles, he completed 66.8% of his passes for a total of 4,694 yards, with 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions, showcasing that even amid adversity, he maintained a high standard of performance. Brady expressed that he focused on providing all he could to his teammates and coaches during this challenging time, showing his commitment to the team despite the personal issues weighing on him. After announcing his retirement in February 2022, only to return for one last season with Tampa Bay, Brady finally hung up his cleats for good in February 2023. He mentioned that he desired to be present for his children, Benjamin and Vivian, highlighting a shift in his priorities as he aimed to attend their sporting events after years of dedicating his life to professional football. The divorce was finalized in October 2022, and during this period, speculation about Bündchen's new relationship began, particularly surrounding her connection with Joaquim Valente, her jiujitsu instructor. However, Bündchen has denied any allegations of infidelity related to her relationship with Valente. Meanwhile, Brady has not publicly entered a new relationship following his divorce and has indicated that he is focusing on his work and spending time with his kids. This situation starkly contrasts with the life he shared with Bündchen, a well-known model, and highlights the personal cost of a high-profile divorce. In conclusion, while Tom Brady successfully managed to perform at a commendable level during a difficult season, the personal obstacles he faced significantly affected his overall experience in the NFL.

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