Tom Brady has revealed his son Benjamin has snubbed his father and instead wants to follow in the footsteps of Rob Gronkowski to become the NFL’s next superstar tight end – and NOT a quarterback.
Brady, 46, has three children, and his youngest son Benny is 13 and getting set to start a fledgling career in football, much to the delight of his father.
But instead of aiming to become a superstar quarterback like his dad, Brady has revealed his son has intentions to shine at tight end like his most famous teammate, Gronk.
‘My son is going to play football this year, Benny, so I’ve been throwing the ball to him in the backyard,’ Brady explained on the latest edition of his podcast, ‘Let’s Go! with Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald and Jim Gray’ on SiriusXM.
‘He wants to be a tight end like Gronk, and he’s gonna be a little beast. He’s an amazing kid and he’s got a lot of talents. He’s a really talented musician and artist. And then he told me this year, “Dad, I’m playing football.” And I was like, “What do you wanna play?” And he was like, “Tight end. I wanna be like Gronk!”
Benjamin (center), now 13, is the eldest of Brady and Gisele Bundchen’s two children
Benjamin doesn’t want to be a QB like his dad, though – instead eyeing Gronk as his idol
‘So I actually texted Gronk and I’m like, “Yo, my boy wants to be like you!” And he loved it. … So I’m out there in the backyard throwing around last night, my daughter’s got me kicking the soccer ball. And [I’m] really enjoying this new experience. And there’s so much to life that is here to live.’
While Brady won’t be on the field for the start of the season, he will be inside a football stadium as he prepares to be honored by the New England Patriots ahead of their game against the Eagles.
Referring to the upcoming event as a ‘special reunion’, Brady opened up on how excited he is to be back at Gillette Stadium, without having to pull on a helmet.
‘I’m going back to New England on Saturday to Gillette, and Mr. Kraft has been very welcoming to me, so I’m gonna have a lot of great friends there. I’ve had so many people text me and say that they’re excited to see me come back.
‘I’m excited to get there. I haven’t been back much, just, you know, just by the way things work out. Your life kind of takes you in different directions.’
And the different direction that Brady will be heading in in 2024 is that of an analyst role with Fox, after signing a 10-year, $375m deal with the network.
Benjamin (bottom) celebrates with Brady after he won the Super Bowl in Atlanta back in 2019
Benjamin has his heart set on becoming a tight end, Brady has revealed on his podcast
After retiring for a second and final time in February, Brady this week made his on-air Fox Sports debut.
He briefly popped up on the screens of college football fans when he featured in a promotional video hyping up his alma mater Michigan on Fox Big Noon Kickoff on Saturday and sent a message to other rival teams.
‘Look guys, I hate to ruin this for everyone else, but this is Michigan’s year,’ said the former quarterback.
‘We’re coming off two back-to-back Big 10 titles, two Ohio State beatdowns…sorry Urban [Meyers]…look coach Harbaugh’s got all the key pieces back. He’s got a blue chip quarterback in J.J. McCarthy, a two-headed monster in the backfield and we’ve got a loaded defense.’
Brady was drafted 199th overall out of Michigan in the 2000 NFL Draft.
Opening up on his excitement for the new role, Brady added: ‘I think there’s a lot of cool things happening and again, I think part of life is growing in different ways, expanding different ways, trying new things and getting outside of your comfort zone.
‘I think even the expectations I have for myself, I’m gonna work really hard in this part of my career knowing that the first time you try something, you’re not very good at it. The first time I threw a football, I was not very good at it. The first time that I tried a math equation, I wasn’t very good at it.
‘So in different ways, the first time you try anything it’s not gonna be the easiest way and you’re just gonna have to keep working at it.’
One of the jobs Brady will have on air next year is to discuss the careers of his former teammates and rivals – and one of the more high-profile of the latter comes in the form of Aaron Rodgers.
A-Rod’s summer switch to the New York Jets has made headlines, and Brady was happy to share his thoughts on the veteran QB, claiming that he is going to succeed at MetLife Stadium in 2023.
‘I’m excited for him,’ Brady said. ‘He’ll be invigorated. Looks like he’s having a good time up to this year. I know he has been engaged in the offseason, which is always great, and really trying to connect with his teammates.
‘So I’m excited to see what he does. They have a really good team. They have a really good offense. And, you know, Aaron’s been, when he’s got good receivers, man, it’s pretty dangerous. … I think he’s gonna have a great year.’
And it’s fair to say Brady too is expecting to have a great year – without the pressures and strains of pulling on his uniform for the first time in over three decades.