Dan Patrick: Buccaneers' Tom Brady has 'addiction to football'

Radio host Dan Patrick suggested on Friday that Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has an unhealthy relationship with football. 

"When you know what's at stake, and your wife reportedly says 'it's either us or football,' and that's true and you take football? We talk about addiction, and you can be addicted to a lot of things, that's an addiction to football," Patrick said during Friday's edition of the show that shares his name, per Ryan Burschinger of iHeartRadio. 'I need this.' But he doesn't! But in his mind, 'I can't walk away, we were a couple plays from probably winning another Super Bowl.'"

Patrick made his comments less than 24 hours after the Buccaneers fell to 3-5 on the season via Thursday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens and on the same day that Brady and Gisele Bündchen confirmed their divorce after 13 years of marriage. 

Brady briefly retired after the 2021 NFL season in February but announced his return to the Buccaneers in March. It was reported in September and as recently as earlier this week that Bündchen had given Brady an ultimatum regarding his career, but neither has said they'd be together today had the 45-year-old not played this season and instead started working for Fox Sports as lead NFL analyst. 

It's unclear if Brady intends to play for any team next year. 

Also on Friday, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio said that Brady flirting with the Miami Dolphins on multiple occasions may have negatively impacted the marriage.