Tom Brady Admits He’s “Run Down” After “Crazy” October: “It All Finally Caught Up to Me”

Tom Brady might be the definition of “never slowing down,” but even the GOAT admits he’s feeling it lately. In his latest newsletter, the 48-year-old former quarterback got candid with fans about how his jam-packed life ( from parenting and broadcasting to new business ventures) has finally caught up with him. “Last week it all finally caught up to me,” he wrote, adding that October had been “crazy.”

Between his second season as a Fox Sports analyst, opening the new CardVault store, and collaborations with YouTuber IShowSpeed and illusionist Oz the Mentalist, Tom said he’s been running nonstop. “I was rundown and a little under the weather,” he confessed. “It happens to all of us at one point or another.”

The seven-time Super Bowl champ explained that no matter how healthy or careful you are, a busy schedule can still take its toll. “…If you are in a lot of different places every week, interacting with lots of different people, doing lots of different things to maximize every waking hour of your day, eventually a bug is going to get you,” he wrote. According to him, that feeling of being “rundown” is “your body’s way of telling you to slow down a bit.”

But that’s easier said than done, especially for someone like Tom. …“Life doesn’t stop when you want (or need) to stop,” he admitted. “You’ve still got to show up for[work, family, and relationships] as your best possible self. You’ve got to be resilient — physically, mentally and emotionally.”

Tom also took the chance to share some of his signature wellness advice, the same discipline that defined his two-decade NFL career. He encouraged readers to prioritize sleep (nine hours a night, if possible) and to stay hydrated. “I try to avoid being in the position of drinking water as a response to thirst,” he said. “It’s why drinking a bunch of water is one of the first things I do when I wake up, and why you will always see me with a water bottle somewhere nearby.”

Tom has been open about his approach to health since retiring from football (for real, this time) in 2023. “I’m down about 10 lbs., but I’m actually very fit right now,” he said on his Let’s Go! podcast last year. “I haven’t had the stress that I had while I was playing, so that’s allowed me to focus a little bit more on my physical health.”

Still, the NFL legend isn’t staying completely off the field. Just last month, he announced he’ll return to the gridiron in a different way by leading the Fanatics Flag Football Classic next March in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The global event will air live on FOX Sports and Tubi, with Kevin Hart hosting and coaches Pete Carroll, Sean Payton and Kyle Shanahan calling the plays.

The roster includes NFL stars like Rob Gronkowski, Odell Beckham Jr., CeeDee Lamb, Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, Tyreek Hill, Sauce Gardner, Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby; all joining Tom for the special international matchup.