Tom Brady gave the NFL everything, and it cost him his marriage and time with his kids. Now that the former quarterback is fully retired and in the booth for Fox, his life looks very different.

TB12’s IG stories showed a very different GOAT than the one who obsessed over film and workouts. He posted snapshots of himself and his kids, Benjamin Rein Brady and Vivian Lake Brady, in a yard, knocking a volleyball around.

The next snap had Brady in the middle and Benjamin and Vivian on each side. All three in paintball gear, suited up for a fun day together. Both posts were captioned simply with “❤️❤️❤️.”

Brady and supermodel Gisele Bündchen finalized their divorce in October 2022 after 13 years of marriage. His refusal to step away from football sat at the center of it. 

“Obviously, I have my concerns – this is a very violent sport, and I have my children and I would like him [Brady] to be more present,” Gisele told Elle in September 2022. “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).”

However, since walking away from the league, Brady has turned his free time into family time. His kids pop up regularly on his social media, whether it is casual sleepovers, burger runs, or low-key days at home. 

Earlier this year, he shared a heartfelt New Year’s message looking back at the previous year, and the theme was clear: more life with his three children. Yet even with this new version of himself, the TB12 has admitted in a resurfaced clip that he still feels like he fell short as a father.

Tom Brady opens up about fatherhood struggles and regrets

A clip has started circulating again, and it shows Brady wrestling with that exact regret. In the video, filmed while he was still with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he talks about his own father, Tom Brady Sr., and nearly breaks down as he explains what that example means to him.

“When I think about being a dad, I think about him because of what my dad meant to me. And I know I’m not as good a dad to my kids that my dad’s been to me,” Brady told ESPN in 2022. “And I use them as my example as to how to keep a family together. and to care, and to support, and to love. We want our kids to be happy.”

That is where the confession turns raw. Brady admits he took his own passion too far and does not want his children to inherit that same torment. 

“But I think I’ve taken it to an extreme, too. There are imbalances in my life, and I hope they don’t take things as far as I’ve taken them. I want them to experience great success in whatever they do. But there’s a torment about me that I don’t wish upon them,” Brady said.

But his emotional 2022 interview contrasts with what he wrote to fans in his July ’25 newsletter (the 199). He argued that part of being “a great father” is setting an example of doing whatever it takes to provide for your family.

“I chose to do it by playing football,” he wrote. “My dedication to the sport, the hours of practice, the moments when I was laser focused – those were times when I believe I was doing the best possible thing for my family and my kids.

“Teaching, by example, what it takes to be really good at your job, to follow through on commitments, be a great teammate, and showing them, that work is a big part of all of our lives.”

In the end, TB12 loved his profession, and his record-breaking success proves it. Now, he’s focused on being there for his kids and co-parenting with Gisele as best he can.