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Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady faced a plethora of off-field challenges in his 23-year career, but the final one took the biggest toll.
That’s what former Bucs head coach and current senior advisor Bruce Arians spoke of in a recent interview with Rich Eisen on “The Rich Eisen Show” in the wake of an 8-9 season. Brady went through a divorce with Gisele Bundchen during the season, and the seven-time Super Bowl champion sustained his first losing record ever in the process.
“Tom wasn’t himself, you know, with all the things that were going on,” Arians told Eisen. “And I got to give him all the credit in the world for battling through what he went through last year for his teammates. I think the world of him, but it wasn’t the real Tom Brady out there.”
Brady threw his second-lowest touchdown total, 25, in a decade, his fewest yards per completion, 9.6, since his rookie year, and his second-lowest quarterback rating, 90.7, in 14 years. He didn’t hide the off-field challenges and how it affected him in various press conferences and interviews. He ultimately asked for “privacy and respect” in an announcement about the divorce via Instagram.
Tampa Bay had additional on-field challenges, which made things difficult for Brady and company as Arians pointed out. Injuries to former Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen and former All-Pro linebacker Shaquil Barrett left major holes on the field.
“The injuries to our leaders was really, really hard,” Arians told Eisen.
Arians Doesn’t See Brady Unretiring Again
Brady retired for a second time after the season, and he has spent time focusing on his children and other business endeavors post-divorce. Brady, who had a Catholic wedding in 2009, also isn’t dating despite rumors according to TMZ. As for unretirement rumors and potential free agency suitors, Arians believes Brady’s retirement will stick this time.
“I definitely think so,” Arians told Eisen. “He’s spent a lot of time with his kids and just heading to the next chapter. He’s got so many things going on, you know, he’s one busy dude.”
Arians Warned Brady About Broadcasting
Brady will get busier in 2024 when he’s set to begin his broadcasting career with FOX. He has a 10-year, $375 million contract with the network. Arians, who spent a year with CBS Sports between coaching stops, understands what Brady is getting into.
“We had a good laugh about it. I said, ‘Do you know how hard that [expletive] is?'” Arians said about a previous conversation with Brady during Eisen’s show. “You’ve got to work, man… I said now, the one thing you’ll have that I didn’t have, you’ll be flying private.”
“I loved going to practices on Friday and seeing the guys and meeting the coaches and calling the ballgame, but the travel was woof,” Arians added. “It does, it takes a lot of time, and that’s one thing about Tom, he’s meticulous. He’s going to make sure everything is right and he’ll be more than ready. He’ll do a great job… He doesn’t have to worry about going into overtime and missing his flight home.”
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