Jim Nantz won’t cross personal boundaries with Tom Brady.
Brady and model Gisele Bündchen split after nearly 14 years of marriage, finalizing their divorce last week. Nantz will be on the call with Tony Romo for Rams versus Buccaneers on CBS on Sunday — Brady’s first game since he announced the termination of the marriage — and spoke on the Sports Illustrated media podcast about why he does not plan to broach the topic on-air.
“That story has been hovering throughout the season, I’ve watched the games and haven’t really heard anyone address it,” Nantz said, referring to what for months were swirling rumors about the couple’s marital status. “I kind of feel like that’s out of bounds. It’s his personal life. Tom’s a friend. I wish him well and his family well. I’m gonna be there to cover a football game, I want to be respectful.”
Nantz has been through a divorce himself. In 2009, his marriage of 26 years ended, with a judge concluding neither side was at fault.
Brady and Bündchen issued dual statements announcing that they were divorced and wished each other the best as they continue to co-parent their children. The two have a boy and girl together, and Brady has another son from a previous relationship with actress Bridget Moynahan.
Brady spoke briefly about the split on his SiriusXM podcast.
Jim Nantz does not plan to discuss Tom Brady’s divorce during CBS’ coverage of Bucs-Rams on Sunday. Getty Images“There’s a lot of professionals in life that go through things that they deal with at work and they deal with at home,” Brady said. “And obviously the good news is it’s a very amicable situation and I’m really focused on two things: taking care of my family and certainly my children, secondly doing the best job I can to win football games.”
Nantz made clear that the decision to not discuss the matter was not final, as he had not yet spoken to Romo or his producer about their plans.
The Bucs are 3-5 after dropping three straight games. Former NFL wideout Nate Burleson observed last week that Brady looks “older” and “should have retired” — but by Nantz’s vantage Brady’s play is not the primary driver of the losses.
Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen finalized their divorce last week. Getty Images“I want to be respectful. People always say, ‘please respect our privacy on this matter.’ Most people don’t, which is sad,” Nantz said. “I hadn’t even thought about the fact that it’s the first game since they’ve made it official. But again, it’s been hovering out there and I don’t think Tom’s play has been affected by it. That’s just my observation. They’re not losing because of Tom Brady. They’ve had serious injury issues, the offensive line’s a mess, the secondary’s a mess.”
