Tom Brady has come under fire from one of his NFL peers for his apparent swipe at ex-wife Gisele Bundchen.

Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl winner who played 23 seasons in the NFL, appeared to take a dig at the Brazilian supermodel when he made a pointed remark about providing for his family in his newsletter.

The NFL legend, 47, who split from Bundchen in October 2022 after 13 years of marriage, said that he viewed his career as a central part of being a good father to his three children.

Brady’s take on providing for his family came after Bundchen repeatedly alluded to her unhappiness at how much he focused on his sporting career at the cost of his family, with his unretirement said to be the tipping point.

And Mitchell Schwartz , a former offensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs, appeared to side with the Victoria’s Secret model.

Schwartz, who won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs in 2020, hit out at Brady for continuing to play well into his 40s, despite having already amassed a fortune.

‘Lots of hilarious things Brady wrote but this one does it for me: “For instance, I think part of being a great father is being a great example of doing what it takes to take care of your family. I chose to do it by playing football,”’ Schwartz wrote in a post on X, referencing Brady’s newsletter.

‘Yes, years *checks notes* 20-23 were really vital for ensuring his family was “taken care of.” Over $200 MILLION earned in 19 years, just on the field, but he still needed to “do what it takes to take care of (his) family.”’

Brady, who shares son Benjamin, 15, and daughter Vivian, 12, with Bundchen and 17-year-old son Jack with ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan, actually banked a staggering $333million over the course of his 23 years in the league.

He pocketed $97.8m in his three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers alone, having already earned $235m after six Super Bowl victories and 20 years with the New England Patriots.

Brady’s first retirement from the NFL lasted a mere 40 days after he performed a shock U-turn on his decision in 2022, returning to the NFL for one more season. His divorce from Bundchen was finalized just seven months later.

He ultimately retired again at the end of the 2022 season – this time ‘for good.’ That season alone, he earned $30million.

In addition to his NFL earnings, Brady has also built a business empire off the football field. After inking multiple endorsements with brands such as Under Armour and TAG Heuer, he is believed to have a net worth of $300m.

Since retiring for good, Brady has become an NFL analyst for Fox on a 10-year, $375million deal.

And Schwartz seemingly believes Brady had banked enough of a fortune long before he finally hung his cleats up to set his family up for life.

Yet, earlier this week Brady claimed that he viewed his career as a central part of being a good father to his three children.

‘I think part of being a great father is being a great example of doing what it takes to take care of your family,’ Brady wrote. ‘I chose to do it by playing football.’

He continued: ‘My dedication to the sport, the hours of practice, the moments when I was laser focused – those were times when I believe I was doing the best possible thing for my family and my kids, by prioritizing my profession and teaching, by example, what it takes to be really good at your job, what it takes to follow through on commitments, what it takes to be a great teammate; and showing them, also by example, that work is a big part of all of our lives.’

Bundchen was said to have encouraged Brady to retire the first time around amid fears for his health in the game, as well as wanting them to spend more time together as a family.

‘Obviously, I have my concerns – this is a very violent sport, and I have my children and I would like him to be more present,’ she told Elle in September 2022. ‘I have definitely had those conversations with him over and over again. But ultimately, I feel that everybody has to make a decision that works for (them). He needs to follow his joy, too.’

During his career, Brady had often spoken about how grateful he was for Bundchen’s role keeping their family together.

In October 2021, he said on his ‘Let’s Go’ podcast: ‘My wife has held down the house for a long time now, and I think there’s things that she wants to accomplish.’

Now, in his letter, Brady says: ‘Remember, your children are watching everything. They see what you do in every aspect of your life and how you do it.

‘Reading bedtime stories and helping them with homework are not the only ways to be a great parent. And neither is winning Super Bowls or MVPs.

‘Being a great football player didn’t make me a great dad, but how I became a great player certainly had an impact – from showing up day in and day out, to doing whatever it took to get better, be successful, be a role model, and to provide.’

Bundchen also said in that September 2022 interview: ‘I’ve done my part, which is be there for Tom. I moved to Boston, and I focused on creating a cocoon and a loving environment for my children to grow up in and to be there supporting him and his dreams.

‘Seeing my children succeed and become the beautiful little humans that they are, seeing him succeed, and being fulfilled in his career – it makes me happy. At this point in my life, I feel like I’ve done a good job on that.’

The Brazilian beauty has since moved on with her jiu-jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente with the couple welcoming a baby boy in February.

The relationship was used to repeatedly taunt Brady, who was rumored to have had a summer fling with Modern Family star Sofia Vergara, during his Netflix roast in May 2024, which is said to have left Bundchen furious.

Kevin Hart, who opened the roast, piled in on Brady and Bundchen’s breakup, saying: ‘You sometimes got to f*** your coach,’ the actor said. ‘You know who else f***ed their coach? Gisele. She f***ed that karate man.’