There's been a lot of chatter about the fact that Tom Brady has returned to football after retiring in early 2022, ostensibly to spend more time with his family. On top of that, his wife, Gisele Bündchen, has made it clear that she hoped to return to her own career following Tom's retirement.
Gisele recently gave a revealing interview to Elle in which she explained, "I've done my part, which is [to] be there for [Brady]. I moved to Boston, and I focused on creating a cocoon and a loving environment for my children to grow up in and to be there supporting him and his dreams."
Now it seems that some of Tom's friends are trying to come to his defense.
Gisele went on, "Seeing my children succeed and become the beautiful little humans that they are, seeing [Brady] succeed, and being fulfilled in his career — it makes me happy. At this point in my life, I feel like I've done a good job on that."
She continued, "I have a huge list of things that I have to do, that I want to do. At 42, I feel more connected with my purpose.
"I feel very fulfilled in that way, as a mother and as a wife. And now it's going to be my turn. It's not like I'm going to be in the valley forever."
A source close to Tom has spoken about the quarterback's decision to return to the sport. The source told People, "Tom is a great guy, everyone thinks so, including Gisele [Bündchen]. He doesn't mean to be so preoccupied."
The source continued, "He wants to be a good husband and father; he still gets excited when talking about Gisele and the kids."
The source added that football is apparently still too big of a pull for Tom.
The source said, "Football is such a big draw to him. Something's got to give, and it has always been his family. They have to be so patient for him."
They go on to add, "From a family standpoint, these are critical years. The kids are getting older, Ben is 12 now."
Gisele also spoke about her hopes that Tom would be home more. In her Elle interview, she explained, "Obviously, I have my concerns — this is a very violent sport, and I have my children and I would like him to be more present. 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]. He needs to follow his joy, too."