Retired coach worries about Tom Brady during ‘heartbreaking’ divorce

Recently retired Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen has opened up about Tom Brady dealing with a divorce before and during a difficult 2022 NFL season. 

“To watch Tom have to leave training camp for 11 days to take care of some personal problems, it was heartbreaking stuff,” Christensen told Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “A divorce. Worrying about his kids. Hard stuff. But then you’re still expected to do your job when you get back. No one cares. And you’ve got a team. You have everyone depending on you. The show goes on.” 

Stroud’s piece went public a day after ESPN’s Jeff Darlington explained that Brady “felt at times his preseason anguish ended his chances at success before the regular season even started.” 

Darlington added that Brady experienced “15 pounds of weight loss” related to his divorce from Gisele Bündchen after 13 years of marriage that they announced on Oct. 28. 

NFL reporter Jason Cole of Outkick wrote in December that the seven-time Super Bowl champion “lost 27 pounds at one point prior to the season, accounting for photos where he looked gaunt.”

Christensen admitted he “worried” about Brady in part because of the 45-year-old’s physical condition. 

“He lost that weight,” Christensen said of Brady. “It was very stressful. And he battled and hurt, but he put on a brave face and did it again. You’ve got a bunch of folks depending on you. I have unbelievable respect for what Tom did this year. Off-the-charts amount of respect for him just managing things.” 

Brady appeared to show his age throughout portions of the regular season and in the 31-14 playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Jan. 16. Despite Brady’s off-the-field issues and injury woes that began for the Buccaneers last summer, Tampa Bay nevertheless won the NFC South title with an 8-9 record. 

Christensen credited Brady for leading the Buccaneers to even one postseason game considering all that the signal-caller encountered since his temporary retirement which he announced last February. 

“People don’t see that side of it,” Christensen said. “Wins and losses are really, really important, but it’s a much bigger picture than that.” 

While Christensen is close with Brady, he revealed he doesn’t know if TB12 will play again with the Buccaneers or any other team. 

Tampa Bay reportedly wants Brady back and also believes he could return to “be part of the solution” for the franchise he first joined in March 2020.