The past two weeks have given Tom Brady a taste of what awaits him off the pitch. After announcing his retirement – this time, he insists, for good – life will feel very different for the 45-year-old.
A year ago, when he retired, he would have envisioned married life with his Brazilian supermodel wife, Gisele Bundchen. But Brady’s departure drove an irreparable wedge between the two, and their divorce was confirmed three months ago during football season.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the end of the football season gives Brady his first real chance for some downtime to process the last few months, whether he retires or not. Meanwhile, Bundchen has restarted her modeling career on Florida beaches for the past two weeks, but now Brady is back in the spotlight after his bombshell announcement.
The fortnight that followed the Bucs’ 31-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys – Brady’s last game – gives an indication of what life will be like now; Appearing on red carpets, hosting podcasts and fatherhood – he was recently spotted watching his daughter Vivian take a horseback riding lesson and visiting potential schools for his children.
Brady reunited Tuesday night in Hollywood for the premiere of 80 for Brady – a story about four friends who travel across America to see the quarterback play in the 2017 Super Bowl.
The announcement finally came this week – Tom Brady is retiring for good this time
Hours before the announcement, Brady attended the LA premiere of the movie 80 for Brady
When he retired a year ago he would have envisioned family life with his wife Gisele Bundchen, but three months ago they divorced – his return to football seemed a factor
No one knew then that Brady’s resignation statement would come hours later.
Maybe not even himself – reports surfaced on Wednesday night that he had filmed his announcement video at least a day before it was released, suggesting he may have been contemplating when to go public.
Or maybe he just didn’t want to take a backseat to his film premiere. In advance about his Let’s Go! Podcast Brady said of the film, “It’s really exciting. I’m actually flying out to LA to be there for the premiere and I just want to be there to support everyone who’s been working really hard on this over the last few years.
“To see it from start to finish and the conception of it, writing the script, editing it, getting some of these amazing women who are the actors and directors and being on the set and having my teammates there and then to see it, it turned out just great.
“So I hope that everyone really enjoys it and that it’s really a fun, feel-good film. It’s about friendship. There are a lot of twists and turns, so I think everyone will really enjoy it.
It’s hard for Brady to imagine his film projects ending on the red carpet. Now that he’s gone, offers from Netflix and Amazon, for example, to make an in-depth documentary about his career will certainly come.
According to Forbes, Michael Jordan earned an estimated $3 million for The Last Dance. You can’t imagine Brady seeing any reason to settle for less.
Brady also devotes time to his Lets Go! Podcast which is a partnership with Sirius. He has the appeal to bring the big names on board – recent guests like Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant are proof.
Brady is good on the show too. It feels authentic and he doesn’t avoid the key issues around him. Two weeks ago he spoke briskly about his uncertainty about his future as a player.
Jim Gray, Brady’s guest, asked Brady if he had a timeline for when he’d announce what’s next.
“Jim, if I knew what I would do, I would have fucking done it already. OK?” Brady replied firmly. “I take it one day at a time.”
Earlier this month, Brady’s ex-wife Bundchen restarted her modeling career, but following his announcement this week, Brady is now back in the spotlight
Brady isn’t retired for another season with the Bucs, but has plenty of pursuits away from football
Brady had several high profile guests at his Let’s Go! Podcast – like Aaron Judge
Exclusive photos show workers at Tom Brady’s $17 million property proceeding with construction of the mega-mansion on Indian Creek Island – “the most exclusive community in the world” – near Miami
Stunned by the seven-time Super Bowl winner’s direct response, Gray replied, “I can sense you’re annoyed by the question,” before laughing nervously.
“You’re scratching…” Brady then said, before Gray quipped, “It’s just the question everyone wants to hear!”
“You’re scratchy,” Brady said again, before regaining his composure. “I appreciate you asking. Thank you very much.’
He’s also building a mansion in Miami that’s said to be worth $17 million. It is located on Indian Creek Island, “the world’s most exclusive community,” with only 34 lots available on 300 acres – all overlooking the water of Biscayne Bay.
He and Bundchen had made plans to move to the high-security enclave — dubbed the Billionaire Bunker — after purchasing the $17 million property in late 2020. They demolished a pre-existing 5,772-square-foot home on the property and are constructing a state-of-the-art eco-friendly mansion in its place.
The island is less than half a square mile and has been a magnet for billionaires, celebrities and power couples who have flocked to it for privacy and safety.
Once construction is complete, Brady will be neighbors of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, hotel magnate Jeffrey Soffer, and billionaire investor Carl Icahn.
Brady launched a clothing brand a year ago — Forever 12 — and on Wednesday she was quick to launch merch related to Brady’s retirement. The “Finale” hoodie was $100.
He also has TB12, a nutrition and athletic apparel line that he helped design, but those who don’t turn to Brady for protein powder and workout gear will find him in Subway commercials instead.
It’s one of the more surprising partnerships considering Brady is so strict about what he eats. His diet avoids non-organic grass-fed dairy, refined carbohydrates, added sugars, and trans and saturated fats.
Brady’s last game in the NFL was a 31-14 loss for the Bucs to the Dallas Cowboys
His merchandise promotion has already started – fans can buy a Brady “Finale” hoodie for $100
Brady has appeared in a number of hilarious Subway commercials over the past few years
Still, Subway and Brady did a good job of acknowledging the elephant in the room. A commercial shows Brady sniffing a piece of fresh bread and saying, “So good you can almost taste it,” before the narrator replies, “But you don’t eat bread.”
His fee from Subway has never been revealed, but Brady also does endorsement work for Hertz, Under Armor, and Fanatics.
But his biggest source of revenue now that he’s retired – and the one who will maintain his profile and occupy most of his time – will still come from football. Brady has inked a 10-year, $375 million deal with Fox ready to retire where he will work as an analyst.
It could even be starting soon — the Super Bowl is on February 12 this year, but it’s not yet known if Brady will be working on the game so soon after his retirement.
Anyhow, while Brady has left the field, he’s clearly not going anywhere out in public.
Following his announcement on Wednesday, Forbes said they valued him at around $533 million from his 23-year career; $333 million comes from his contracts and the rest from his off-field work.
He has every reason to expect that number to increase.