Unusually Candid Tom Brady Dishes On Patriots, Trump, Gisele

Tom Brady was unusually candid with radio host Howard Stern Wednesday morning, sharing previously unknown details about his final years and ultimate exit from the New England Patriots, his controversial friendship with President Trump and the struggles in his high-profile relationship with supermodel Gisele Bundchen.

Brady, who spent his 20-year career in Foxborough before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last month as a free agent, said he knew heading into the 2019 season it would be his last with New England.

"I knew my time was coming to an end," he acknowledged.

Brady, 42, told Stern he cried when he told owner Robert Kraft and coach Bill Belichick he wouldn't be returning, but he firmly insisted he had no ill will toward the coach. He said it was just time to move on, and that he wasn't concerned with things like his legacy or with being a Patriot for life.

He also told Stern he has little patience for the debate over who is more responsible for the Patriots' six Super Bowl championships: himself or Belichick.

"I think that's a pretty [expletive] argument," Brady said, noting that neither of them can do the other's job.

Brady, who is generally intensely private about his personal life, also dished on what became a strained relationship with his wife. Brady said Bundchen grew dissatisfied with their marriage because of his commitment to football, and that as a result he dropped the voluntary offseason workouts he once was known for.

Brady also touched on his "friendship" with President Trump. Brady told Stern that Trump asked him to speak at the 2016 Republican National Convention.

"He always had a way of connecting with people, and still does," Brady said. "But now the whole political aspect came and I think I got brought into a lot of those things because it was so polarizing around the election time. It was uncomfortable to me because you can’t undo things, not that I would undo a friendship."

Stern asked about Trump's wanting Brady to marry his daughter Ivanka. Brady didn't exactly deny it, saying, "That was a long time ago in my life" and that the two "never dated or anything like that."

Brady caught heat for wearing a Make America Great Again hat in 2015, and again after Trump said Brady called to congratulate him after his election.

Brady also talked about:

• His injuries, admitting he has "definitely had concussions" and discussing a hernia he once suffered in a game that left one testicle swollen to the size of an orange.
• His short-lived experiences as a high school kid: "Partying, drinking and smoking weed."
• Letting his kids play football, knowing the inherent dangers of the game. "There's something about contact sports that teaches about respect, routine, discipline, teamwork that you don't get from non-contact sports."
• Factors he considered in choosing a new team, including family, climate and his ability to help them win.