Tom Brady certainly has a lot on his plate at the moment and an NFL peer believes the legendary quarterback could always cut his 23rd season short if he needs to by retiring… again. Not only has Tom led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a dismal start with a 3-3 record as of mid-October, but he’s also dealing with a rumored split after 13 years of marriage to supermodel Gisele Bündchen. The conditions are ripe for a possible midseason departure, according to former Bucs’ quarterback and sports analyst Chris Simms.
“Normally I’d feel like it’s [Aaron] Rodgers that would be that guy,” Chris said on the Oct. 18 episode of NBC’s Pro Football Talk Live when asked if he thinks veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers or Tom would possibly exit midseason. “But because of this year and some of the off-the-field stuff that’s hitting home and personal stuff with Brady, this is the one year I feel maybe it might be Brady.”
“I think Rodgers is usually the guy to be more renegade and be like ‘screw this, I’m out of here,'” Chris continued. “But this is a weird year where we’re seeing Brady do weird crap and having personal issues.”
The weird year included Tom missing 11 days of Tampa Bay’s training camp in the summer due to “personal reasons.” The brief leave of absence fueled more speculation of trouble in his relationship with Gisele, who skipped out on attending the first game of the season, although the couple’s two children, Ben, 12, and Violet, 9, however, were there to cheer Tom on.
While Tom has not addressed his absence in the pre-season, he did make note of his personal life on his Let’s Go! SiriusXM show on Monday, October 10. “There’s things I’m going through in my 40s and it’s life,” he said. “And you learn to grow up and you learn to deal with life. And that’s what we’re all trying to do. We’re trying to do it the best way we can.”
Adding to the rumor mill, Gisele recently said she had “concerns” about Tom returning to play in the NFL after he had briefly retired in the spring. “This is a very violent sport, and I have my children and I would like him to be more present,” she told Elle magazine. “I have definitely had those conversations with him over and over again. But ultimately, I feel that everybody has to make a decision that works for [them]. He needs to follow his joy, too.”
Gisele’s interview comes after a source EXCLUSIVELY told HollywoodLife that Gisele is adjusting the best she can to Tom’s ‘unretirement,’ but it hasn’t been ‘easy’ for her. “Gisele did her best to adjust to Tom‘s decision to go back [to the NFL] but it hasn’t been easy for her because that wasn’t their agreement,” the insider explained. “She’s a very supportive wife, but she’s also speaks her truth so there’s been a lot of tension since he went back. She needed to take some time to herself and Tom is respecting that.”
In March, Tom signed back up with the Buccaneers following a brief “retirement” from the sport. The 7-time Super Bowl champ took to Twitter to reveal what led to his change of heart. “These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands. 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.”