Tom Brady reportedly 'had trouble getting out of bed' over loss of marriage

Quarterback Tom Brady is reportedly using playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this fall as a way to cope with his divorce from Gisele Bündchen. 

"Friends say that Brady was so down about the loss of his marriage that he literally had trouble getting out of bed in the morning," Outkick's Jason Cole explained. 

Public hints Brady was dealing with a serious non-football issue first arose when he took a previously unannounced 11-day break away from the Buccaneers during the preseason in August. Cole notes that Brady "lost 27 pounds at one point prior to the season, accounting for photos where he looked gaunt." A college friend told Cole that Brady was "as down as I have ever seen him" regarding the split from Bündchen. 

"He was hurt, he was upset because of what it meant to the kids. Everything," that friend added. "To be honest, football has been a great distraction just to get his mind off all the crap." 

Brady and the Buccaneers lost 27-22 to the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 27 to fall to 3-5 on the season. The following day, the 45-year-old and Bündchen confirmed their divorce. Since that time, Tampa Bay has gone 3-1 and now sits atop the NFC South standings over the Atlanta Falcons (5-8), Carolina Panthers (4-8), and New Orleans Saints (4-9). 

The Buccaneers play at the 8-4 San Francisco 49ers this Sunday. 

Some observers suggested before Oct. 28 that Brady was merely "showing his age" with his play over the season's first half. Per ESPN stats, Brady is fifth in the entire NFL with 3,332 passing yards on the campaign but is also 20th among qualified quarterbacks with a 52.2 total QBR. 

Cole and other NFL insiders have linked Brady with the 49ers and a potential return to the New England Patriots for next season. Others believe the future Hall of Famer could play for the Buccaneers in 2023 even though he already has a deal to become Fox Sports' lead NFL analyst whenever he retires.