Tom Brady may be considered by many to be the greatest NFL player of all time, but he still has one major regret from his years in the league.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion appeared on The Pivot podcast last month, hosted by fellow retired players Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder.
The 46-year-old said he took football “too seriously” compared to other quarterbacks, particularly Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes, 28.
“When I watch these young players, I see Patrick (Mahomes) out there as a quarterback, running around, laughing, having fun, I’m like, ‘I used to be like that. What the heck happened?'” Brady said with a laugh.
‘I took it too seriously, but then again, I can only look back and think, “Okay, if I were to do it again, which I will never do again, it would be different.” But the reality is that you can’t.’
Tom Brady revealed that he still has a big regret from his 23 years in the NFL
The retired quarterback said he sees young players like Patrick Mahomes running and laughing.
Brady said he will bring a less serious mindset to his second run in the broadcast booth.
Although he doesn’t plan to retire again, Brady said he’ll take that mindset into his second career in the broadcast booth.
“So you learn from it. Now, in the next stage of life, enjoy it a little bit more,” he explained.
Fans were quick to comment on the podcast clip when it was posted on social media.
“Brady never looked like he was having fun in his entire life,” one fan joked on X.
“No, winning is fun, you did well, Tom,” added another.
A third chimed in: “That’s what made Brady so great. He was never the most talented, he was always smarter and worked harder than everyone.”
Elsewhere in the episode, the Patriots Hall of Famer reflected on his attitude in the early years of his career.
“I wouldn’t say I took success for granted. Maybe I took some wins for granted, like in my playing career. I mean, the reason I fell in love with football was… not being a champion. I love just throwing the ball around,” he said.
“When I was older, I enjoyed practices more than games because I felt like I had such high expectations going into the game,” Brady continued.
In 20 seasons with the Patriots, Brady amassed six Super Bowl championships and 219 wins.
Brady won another Super Bowl title in 2021 with the Buccaneers after leaving New England
‘In practice, nobody was looking at me. I could have a little more fun. I could be a little bit lighter. Even when I look at myself later in my career, I had that face, it was a scowl, all the time. It was just extreme self-criticism.’
Since hanging up his football boots, the former quarterback signed a lucrative 10-year, $375 million contract with Fox Sports to become the network’s lead NFL analyst beginning this fall.
In addition to his highly anticipated television career, Brady is a co-owner of several team franchises.
He owns stakes in the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, the EFL’s Birmingham City FC and the Las Vegas Night Owls in Major League Pickleball. He also aspires to become a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.