Tom Brady Says He Views Playing NFL Season Like ‘Military Deployment’

In his 23rd year in the league, Tom Brady definitely understands what it’s like to compete in an NFL season.

Even though Brady has no experience of participating in the military, he drew a comparison to the military and the NFL this week while speaking on his Let’s Go! podcast with Jim Gray.

The Buccaneers quarterback spoke with Nets star Kevin Durant on the latest episode of the podcast about what it’s like balancing work and life.

When Durant compared the NBA season to “hibernation,” Brady offered a comparison of his own: “military deployment.”

“I almost look at like a football season like you’re going away on deployment in the military, and it’s like, ‘man, here I go again,’” Brady said. “There’s only one way to do it. … The reality is you can really only be authentic to yourself, right? Whenever you may say, ‘Oh man, I want to, you know, make sure I spend a little more time doing this.’ When it comes down to it, your competitiveness takes over and as much as you want to have this playful balance with the work balance, you’re going to end up doing exactly what you’ve always done, which is why you are who you are. You’re going to go, ‘how the [expletive] do I get it done?’ You know, ‘what do I got to do to get it done?’”

Brady didn’t literally mean that the NFL seasons and military deployments are comparable. His statement reflects how he thinks an NFL season takes him away from all the other aspects of his life except for competing.

This comment comes at an interesting time in which Brady has been in the news recently for his situations outside of football. Just last weekend, the quarterback attended his former Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s wedding, which then caused Brady to miss practice the next day.

Additionally, Brady and his wife Gisele Bündchen have made headlines as rumors circulate about the couple potentially divorcing.

Brady retired from football back in February of this year, but announced his return for the 2022 season just weeks later.

• BucsGameday: Does it make sense for the Buccaneers to trade for Cam Akers? 

For more Tampa Bay Buccaneers coverage, go to BucsGameday.