Brady talks challenge of finding work-life balance

TAMPA, Fla. — A tumultuous past week for Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady that saw his Bucs fall to 3-5 and his marriage of 13 years end has given way to a sense of normalcy for the seven-time Super Bowl winner this week with the Los Angeles Rams coming to town, the team that played a “big” role in his decision to come out of retirement.

Brady ran out onto the practice field for the first time in a long time Thursday, and he was exuberant when meeting with reporters, smiling, laughing, even when acknowledging not only the Bucs’ struggles as of late but also that his own personal life — one that’s been dragged into tabloids and highly speculated about the past several months — is not perfect and that he’s simply trying to do the best he can.

“I’ve always tried to do the best I could do here [at the Bucs’ facility], and then when I leave here, I try to do the best I can do. That’s what we all try to do,” Brady said when asked about the challenges of the past week, which included finalizing his divorce from ex-wife Gisele Bundchen. “I’m sure everyone sitting in this room, everyone sitting at home, is trying to wake up every day doing the best they could do for their families and their career. And I’m no different. So just do the best you can do every day. We certainly try to do.”

His focus at the Bucs’ facility is beating the Rams, against whom he has gone 0-3 the past two years and who handed him a 30-27 loss in the NFC divisional round of the playoffs last year, and get back in the win column.

“I mean we’re right in the middle of the year — it’s in the thick of the fight — and we just haven’t played well enough to get our record to a point where we can be super excited about what we’re at,” Brady said.

“It’s not like it gets easier; it’s not like it gets any less competitive. No one feels sorry for us, nor should they. They’re trying to win those games. We’re trying to win, and we just haven’t done a good job the last six weeks doing that.”

At home, it’s about being a great dad to his children, Benjamin 12, and Vivian, 9, of whom he now shares custody with Bundchen (his oldest, Jack, 15, lives in New York with Jack’s mother, actor Bridget Moynahan). He and the children have spent time together horseback riding, fishing, going to the movies and volunteering — including visits to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay and, this past weekend, delivering meals in Englewood, Florida, to families most affected by Hurricane Ian. He also took Benjamin and Vivian trick-or-treating Monday night.

But once back in the building this week, it was “damn near business as usual,” said right tackle Tristan Wirfs, while acknowledging the gravity of Brady’s personal situation. “I’ll always have his back, and everyone in here will too.”

That includes trying not only to get the win but also to reach the 100,000-yard passing mark — the first quarterback in NFL history to do so — which he’s just 164 yards shy of. Brady said the milestone is just as much his teammates’ achievement as his own.

“I think for me it’s a credit to all the guys that I’ve played with, who have blocked for me, who have caught passes, and I think all those things are great celebration to all those guys. I think of — I can’t do s— in this league without guys doing what they are amazing at too. … I feel like these are all, they’re great achievements, but for as much as people want to say, ‘Oh, this is what Tom Brady did,’ in my mind, this is what myself and all these other people that have contributed to my life have done.”

When asked what he would have said if someone had told him 23 years ago, as a sixth-round draft pick, that he’d reach that milestone, Brady said with a laugh, “Crazy. I think everybody would’ve said we’re crazy, including me.”

“The fact that I’m still playing 23 years in is pretty — it’s something I love to do and I’ve always enjoyed playing and the competition of the sports. So yeah, it’s kind of all these kind of lifetime achievement awards — they’re great to celebrate with everyone. One day I’ll look back and think that it was pretty cool, though. My kids probably won’t care at all, but that’s all right. I just credit to all the people that I play with.”

The last time Brady set an NFL record, though, when he threw his 600th touchdown pass, wide receiver Mike Evans gave it away to a fan and the equipment staff had to go track it down. Did he remind Evans not to give the ball away this time?

“Put out an APB [all points bulletin] or something like that for all the offensive guys?” Brady said chuckling. “Yeah, I mean, those things, I’ll probably keep my jersey — I’ve been keeping more of those lately — but whatever happens, happens, that’s just a football.”