Tom Brady's divorce was factor in Buccaneers' struggles, team exec Bruce Arians says

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For the first and only time in his illustrious career, Tom Brady finished under .500 last season.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers still made the playoffs in a bad division with an 8-9 record, but it was clear they did not match up to the rest of the playoff teams. 

They lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Dallas Cowboys, 31-14.

Off the field, it was a stressful year for Brady as he dealt with a divorce from Gisele Bundchen. And Bruce Arians, Brady's head coach when they won the 2021 Super Bowl, said the future Hall of Famer "wasn't himself" throughout the season.

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Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after a fumble against the Dallas Cowboys during the third quarter in an NFC wild-card playoff game at Raymond James Stadium Jan. 16, 2023, in Tampa, Fla.  (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

"The injuries to our leaders was really, really hard," Arians said. "Tom wasn’t himself, you know, with all the things that were going on. And I got to give him all the credit in the world for battling through what he went through last year for his teammates. I think the world of him, but it wasn’t the real Tom Brady out there."

It was reported that Brady lost 15 pounds during the season amid the stress of everything off the field. He also dealt with plenty of questions about his looming retirement. Brady temporarily hung up the cleats following the 2021 season but announced a return just 40 days later.

Tom Brady (12) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and head coach Bruce Arians talk during warmups prior to a game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium Jan. 2, 2022, in East Rutherford, N.J.