Tom Brady Reveals If He's Sticking to His NFL Diet Post-Retirement

One of the big reasons Tom Brady played in the NFL at a high level for 23 years is he followed a strict diet. But now that he announced his retirement from the league earlier this year, will the seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback loosen up his eating habits? Brady recently told PEOPLE he plans to keep up his NFL diet despite not playing the game professionally anymore. 

"I don't think it's a strict regimen," he told PEOPLE when asked about his diet. "I think it's just trying to make healthy choices that allow me to live the life I want to live." Brady went on to say that he has spent his retirement playing other sports such as golf and pickleball. The 45-year-old loves being "very active" which is the reason he maintains his diet. 

Brady said that his diet was essential while he was playing because  "my body was my asset," but admits that "it's a little different now" that he's retired. "I've developed so many healthy habits, I just want to stick with them," Brady stated. In Brady's final NFL season, he threw for 4,694 yards and 25 touchdowns as quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his final six seasons, Brady threw for at least 4,000 yards and 24 touchdowns and reached the playoffs every year during that span. In his 23 NFL seasons, Brady only missed the playoffs twice — 2002 and 2008 when he suffered a season-ending injury. 

Recently, there was speculation that Brady could return to the NFL and play for the Las Vegas Raiders since he joined the team's ownership group. "I'm certain I'm not playing again, so I've tried to make that clear and I hate to continue to profess that, cause I've already told people that lots of times," Brady said in an interview with Sports Illustrated. "But I'm looking forward to my broadcasting job next year. I'm looking forward to the opportunity ahead with the Raiders, and we're in the process of that along with the other different things that I'm a part of professionally and in my personal life, just spending as much time with my kids as I can and seeing them grow up and support the different things they have going on."