• Tom Brady recently retired from the NFL after 23 years of playing.
• Scott Stossel reflects on a conversation he had with Brady a few years ago, where he asked if Brady ever worried that too much of his life was consumed by football.
• Brady’s father, Tom Brady Sr., worries about how his son will cope without the structure, mission, and intensity of football.
• Brady’s extreme commitment to football obscured the desperation behind his decision to keep playing.
• The physical and psychological aftermath of football is well-documented, and many players have suffered after retirement.
• Brady’s retirement announcement video was praised as gracious and heartfelt, but Stossel was struck by the waterless and overcast tableau of the video.
Published February 11, 2023
Visit The Atlantic to read Mark Leibovich’s original post The Quiet Desperation of Tom Brady
