Gisele Bündchen posts emotional Instagram message after Tom Brady announces retirement

“You are the most dedicated, focused, and mentally tough person I have ever met.”

Gisele Bündchen is “excited for the next chapter” now that husband Tom Brady is finally retiring after 22 years in the NFL.

The supermodel posted an emotional message on Instagram Tuesday morning, writing that Brady was “the most dedicated, focused and mentally tough person I have ever met.”

“When I met you over 15 years ago, I didn’t know the first thing about football,” Bündchen wrote. “But cheering for you and seeing you do what you love most made me learn about this wonderful game to the point that I seriously believed I knew more than the referees! We always had a special champions playlist for every drive on our way to the game. As a family, we always prayed for you, celebrated and supported you in every game, cheered every win, and suffered with every loss.”

“I’m so proud of you, and of everything you have had to overcome physically and emotionally over the years,” Bündchen continued. “I am in awe of your dedication, and of everything you have achieved. You love what you do, and you leave behind a legacy that is a beautiful example for future generations. You are the most dedicated, focused and mentally tough person I have ever met. You never once complained over the years about all the bruises and aches and pains. You just kept focusing on your goal to go out there and be the best leader there was to all your teammates.”

In the past, Bündchen has not shied away from voicing her concerns about Brady’s lengthy career. In a 2017 interview with “CBS This Morning,” she caused a stir by saying that Brady had suffered unreported concussions while playing.

“He had a concussion last year. He has concussions pretty much every …” Bündchen said, before cutting herself off. “I mean, we don’t talk about it. But he does have concussions. I don’t really think it’s a healthy thing for anybody to go through.”

In 2018, Gisele reportedly asked Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan and Brady’s former Michigan teammate Jay Feely to help convince Brady to retire.

Brady, for his part, told Jim Gray on his “Let’s Go” podcast on January 24 that Bündchen and his family were on his mind as he mulled his career options.

“It pains her to see me get hit out there,” Brady said, as transcribed by the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. “And she deserves what she needs from me as a husband and my kids deserve what they need from me as a dad.”

Brady singled out Bündchen in his retirement message on social media, emphasizing that she had done “EVERYTHING for our family.”

“Lastly to my wife, Gisele, and my children, Jack, Benny and Vivi,” Brady wrote. “You are my inspiration. Our family is my greatest achievement. I always came off the field and home to the most loving and supportive wife who has done EVERYTHING for our family to allow me to focus on my career. Her selflessness allowed me to reach new heights professionally, and I am beyond words what you mean to me and our family.”