Gisele Bundchen reportedly helped Tom Brady make 'final' retirement decision

There's yet another sign that Tom Brady is serious about staying retired "for good" this time. 

Johnni Macke of Us Weekly reported that a source revealed Brady "turned to ex-wife Gisele Bündchen when deciding if he should retire from the NFL for the second time" after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Dallas Cowboys last month. 

The report noted that "Tom and Gisele are on cordial terms" and "talked this through before he came to the final decision" to announce his retirement via a brief video he shared on social media last Wednesday. Additionally, Macke wrote that Bündchen remains "a real rock" for Brady and that the 45-year-old is "so grateful to everyone in his life for the support they’ve shown." 

It was reported this past summer that Brady and Bündchen were experiencing marital problems at least somewhat linked with his decision to end a short-lived retirement and return to the Buccaneers for the 2022 season. Brady repeatedly dodged questions about the topic until he and Bündchen confirmed their divorce on Oct. 28. 

Fans and analysts couldn't help but notice changes in Brady's appearance in late August. He reportedly lost somewhere between 15 and 27 pounds during the divorce, and retired Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen recently admitted he "worried" about Brady during the season.

Brady is taking a so-called "gap year" before he joins Fox to become the network's lead NFL analyst in 2024. Some have pointed out that the signal-caller didn't emphatically slam the door shut on another return in interviews he's completed since his retirement, but longtime teammate Rob Gronkowski indicated on Tuesday both he and Brady are "done." 

Brady has two children living in Florida with Bündchen and one son living in New York. Bündchen and Brady presumably discussed the futures of their kids before he decided to retire for good.