Tom Brady on Aaron Rodgers: ‘Far be it from me to tell anyone what to put in their body’

TAMPA — Tom Brady had COVID-19 following the Super Bowl 55 boat parade in February and still got the vaccine — just like every one of his fellow Bucs players.

He certainly is meticulous about what he puts into his body as the co-author of The TB12 Method: How to Achieve a Lifetime of Sustained Peak Performance.

But one day after watching Green Bay fall to the Chiefs without Aaron Rodgers — who tested positive for COVID-19 and has lost sponsorships for his comments on the vaccine — Brady didn’t want to weigh in on the Packers’ unvaccinated quarterback.

“I’m not commenting on Aaron Rodgers’ personal situation,” Brady said on his Let’s Go! podcast. “Far be it for me to tell anyone what to put in their body. But by the way, The TB12 Method is available in paperback wherever nutritional books are sold and I’ll leave it at that.”

Brady was asked by host Jim Gray if he was reading a prepared statement. “Nope, just thought about it and obviously that’s how I feel and that’s all I’m going to say.”

Brady confirmed to the Tampa Bay Times in August that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and still took the vaccine when it was available.

For Brady, it’s as much a matter of competitive advantage as anything. Vaccinated players have fewer protocols at home and on the road and a better chance to returning to the team quickly if they are infected.

Brady predicted that COVID-19 would be a big story in the NFL again this season and Rodgers proved him right.

“Every week and we’re trying to prevent the spread of it,” Brady said. “We’ve missed some players this year. Other teams have missed some players this year. I hope everyone stays safe. I think that’s the important part in all of it.”

Also on the podcast, Brady was critical of having to play a 17th game this season, calling it “pointless” and a “terrible decision.” He said under the NFL Players Association’s current leadership, ”what the owners want, the owners get.”

“I would love to see a stronger union so we can negotiate something that’s more fair and what’s really right for the owners, the coaches and the players because all three groups need different things,” he said. “And if you’re going to ask for more, then you better provide more. But that hasn’t been the way negotiations have gone.”

Brady said the NFL has not provided the best healthcare or treatment, and he hopes to educate the next generation about the methods that have enabled him to play at an MVP level at age 44.

“Players should have the best health care and receive the best treatment,” Brady said. “I have for a long time. I’ve had to do it myself though. That’s just a reality. The league didn’t provide it for me. ...

“That’s why I’m very cognizant of what I put into my body. My hydration. What I eat. How I recover. How I train. How I work out. How I get all my pliability treatments. Those things are very important to me. I want to live a great life after football and I want to teach other people who have been in my position and others who love being active in the same types of things.”

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