Tom Brady won’t be returning to the NFL anytime soon.
“I am not coming out of retirement,” Brady, 46, clarified on the latest episode of his “Let’s Go! With Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray” podcast, joking that his family would “kill” him if he tried to unretire from football for a second time.
When podcast guest star Mr. Beast suggested that ratings would skyrocket if Brady even hinted that he was considering playing another season in the NFL, Brady once again shut the idea down. “I can’t tease that. My parents would call, my kids would call. … I wouldn’t be around by tonight,” he qupped, adding that “you’re only allowed one unretirement” as an athlete and he’s “used” his up.
After more than 20 years in the league, Brady initially announced his retirement in February 2022. One month later, however, he changed his tune. He played one last season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — he joined the Florida team in 2020 following 19 years with the New England Patriots — before hanging up his helmet for good in February.
Now that he’s living his life without the pressure of professional sports, Brady’s priorities have shifted. “I think for me, how it looks going forward, I get to really think about and strategize and try to plan out to the best of my ability,” he exclusively told Us Weekly in June. “I’m really looking forward to] finding ways to go out there and challenge myself and try to do the best I could do with these different opportunities.”
Brady has turned his focus toward “the things that mean the most,” he explained to Us – and that includes his children. “Being with my kids and my family and traveling and doing some different things and experiencing that, and then staying busy with things work-wise, you know, professionally are things that I certainly enjoy,” he said. (Brady shares son Benjamin, 13, and daughter Vivian, 10, with ex-wife Gisele Bündchen. He is also dad to son Jack, 16, whom he shares with ex Bridget Moynahan.)
One of Brady’s most recent experiences was an “incredible” trip to Africa, which he took with his family in August. “It was another special reminder that life is TRULY about relationships and memories,” he captioned a slideshow of pics from the getaway. “I’ve experienced quite a bit in the first 45 years I have lived, and what I have loved most is the people who I have shared the most life-changing events with….my children, my family, my loved ones and friends and all of you have added so much to this incredible/adventurous life.”
Three months later, Brady once again had his loved ones by his side when he brought the brood along to the Patriots’ season opener, where he was honored by the team during half-time.
“Coming back to New England to celebrate what WE accomplished was so special, and it’s a day that I’ll never forget,” he wrote of the celebration. “Being able to spend time with teammates, family, friends, coaches, and most importantly all the fans of Patriot nation is something that I’ll never take for granted.”
In addition to more quality time with his little ones, post-retirement has also made space for new love in Brady’s life. After his 2022 divorce from Bündchen, 43, the Super Bowl champion sparked romance rumors with Irina Shayk after the model was spotted leaving his house after an apparent sleepover.
“Things are very new, [but] Tom has hung out with Irina a few times,” a source exclusively told Us in July. “Right now, Tom’s main priorities are focusing on his [three] kids and just having fun. However, he’s interested in getting to know Irina better.”
When Shayk, 37, made headlines for posing topless while on a summer getaway with ex-husband Bradley Cooper two months later, a second insider insisted that she and Brady are still going strong.
“Both of them are busy with families and their careers, but they enjoy each other’s company,” the source told Us. “Irina thinks Tom is a sweet, standup guy, and Tom feels at ease with Irina.” (Shayk and Cooper, 48, share daughter Lea De Seine, 6.)
