Coaches close to Tom Brady have opened up about his significant weight loss while going through a difficult separation. The former NFL star revealed that he had lost almost 20 pounds while going through a divorce with his ex-wife Gisele Bündchen.
The weight loss happened while he was battling to save his marriage and preparing for his final season in the NFL. The quarterback notably played for the New England Patriots before making a later career switch to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, the 2022 season was unusually traumatic for Brady and his weight loss became a topic of conversation between those who knew him best.
Speaking in an earlier ESPN documentary, quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen recalled being shocked by Brady’s appearance after he returned from an unexplained 11-day absence from training camp. It was particularly telling given Brady’s usually meticulous training methods to keep in shape.
Tom Brady Returned To Tampa Bay Looking Like an ‘Empty Shell’
The dramatic weight loss occurred just a short time after he announced that he was retiring from the sport. The seven-time Super Bowl champion announced he was quitting the NFL in February 2022. However, he subsequently changed his mind just over a month later, returning to Tampa Bay for one final season.
Speaking in Lars Anderson’s upcoming book, “Brady: An American Story and the Price of Greatness,” several coaches who worked with Brady detailed just how dramatic his weight loss was.
“For Tom to lose that much weight, on his frame, it was a lot,” Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians said. “It was very clear that the reason for the weight loss was the stress from the personal issues he was dealing with.”
According to a released excerpt from the book (via the Daily Mail), both Brady and Bündchen attempted to mend their marriage before ultimately choosing to separate. The quarterback left the Buccaneers’ 2022 training camp for a total of 11 days around this time, with Brady reportedly traveling to the Bahamas with Bundchen.
It was his return from this trip that led to his coaches noticing how much of a physical toll his personal issues were having on his body. Another coach working on the team told the author that Brady’s “cheekbones had freaking cheekbones.”
“With all respect, he looked like a cancer patient with really good hair,” they add. “He just seemed miserable, not even close to the Tom we all loved. He was so stressed.”
Brady Made A Desperate Attempt to Save His Marriage
In another excerpt from the book, the author reveals that the last-minute trip to the Bahamas was a desperate attempt by Brady to save his marriage.
Brady and Bündchen confirmed their divorce in October 2022 after 13 years of marriage. They share two children, Benjamin and Vivian.
According to the book, one of the major issues in the deterioration of the relationship was Brady’s reluctance to retire. It suggests that Bündchen asked him multiple times to walk away from the NFL after his record-breaking achievements so they could spend more time together at home as a family.
An insider who is allegedly close to Brady told the author, “One day, Gisele, who is really into astrology, basically looked into the stars and told Tom, ‘We’re not compatible.’”
