MIAMI — The NFL community is rallying around Tom Brady this week, but not for his accomplishments on the field. The seven-time Super Bowl champion has sparked a wave of public concern following a “concerning” and “cryptic” social media update that left fans questioning the legendary quarterback’s emotional state as the 2025 calendar year draws to a close.
The post in question, shared via Brady’s Instagram Stories, featured a photo of the 48-year-old icon wearing a white hoodie emblazoned with the words “Forever Young.” While the attire seemed harmless, it was the choice of music and the specific timing of the post that triggered alarm bells across the internet. Brady paired the image with Logic’s 2017 hit “1-800-273-8255″—a powerful anthem named after the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
The song’s lyrics, which include poignant lines about feeling “out of my mind” and that “life isn’t mine,” immediately shifted the tone from a standard celebrity update to what many perceived as a vulnerable signal of distress.
The timing of the post was particularly noted by fans, as it came just days after viral photos emerged of his ex-wife, Gisele Bündchen, appearing to confirm her marriage to jiu-jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente. Bündchen and Valente also welcomed their first child together earlier in 2025, marking a significant new chapter for the supermodel that has been heavily scrutinized by the media.
“Tom has always been the ultimate ‘stoic’ figure, but this feels different,” one prominent NFL analyst noted on X. “Using a song specifically about mental health crises while wearing a ‘Forever Young’ hoodie after your ex-wife moves on so publicly… it’s a lot for anyone to process, even the GOAT.”
Social media was quickly flooded with messages of support, with the hashtag #PrayForTom briefly trending as “prayer warriors” and concerned followers urged the retired star to seek support. While Brady has not issued a formal follow-up to the post, he has previously been open about the “heavy toll” his post-retirement grind has taken on his health, admitting in an October newsletter that his packed schedule had finally “caught up to him.”
Despite his ongoing success as a FOX broadcaster and his minority ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, the “Forever Young” post serves as a stark reminder of the human element behind the icons. For a man who spent 23 years “in the arena,” the transition to a quieter, more complicated personal life appears to be a challenge that even his famously disciplined TB12 method can’t entirely mitigate.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Brady’s representatives have not commented on the speculation, and the future Hall of Famer has returned to his usual schedule of NFL analysis and family updates. However, for many in the football world, the image of the “Forever Young” hoodie remains a sobering talking point about the importance of mental health awareness for athletes in transition.
