Being the son of a seven-time Super Bowl champion sounds like a dream. You get the front-row seats, the private jets, and basically a VIP pass to the sports world. But honestly? It’s complicated. Tom Brady has been pretty open lately about the fact that "it sucks to be Tom Brady's son" in many ways.
Imagine trying to play a game of pickup basketball when your dad is a global icon of competitive drive. Or trying to find your own identity when every headline compares your height, your throwing arm, and your chin to a man who basically conquered the NFL for two decades.
The Oldest: Jack Moynahan and the Quarterback Comparison
Jack is 18 now. He’s towering. Standing at roughly $6'5"$, he’s actually taller than his dad. For years, people have watched Tom Brady with his son Jack and wondered if we were seeing the second coming of the New England dynasty.
Jack plays quarterback at Riverdale Country School in the Bronx. He also plays basketball and lacrosse. He’s a natural athlete, which honestly made things easier for Tom at first. Tom admitted on his Let’s Go! podcast that throwing the football is one of the few things he’s actually an expert at, so he can actually help Jack with his mechanics.
But there’s a catch.
Tom has also said he wouldn't necessarily choose for Jack to follow in his footsteps. Why? Because the expectations are "unfair." If Jack throws an interception, it’s not just a high school mistake; it’s a headline. That’s a heavy backpack for any teenager to carry into a huddle. Despite the pressure, the two are incredibly close. They were recently spotted golfing in the Bahamas, looking like carbon copies of each other.
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Benjamin Rein: Breaking the "Athlete" Mold
Then there’s Benny.
Benjamin Rein Brady is 16, and his journey has been a bit different. For a while, there was this internal tension because Tom—being the ultimate competitor—just assumed his boys would want to do exactly what he did. He wanted to grind. He wanted to run drills in the backyard.
Benny? Not so much.
Early on, Benjamin was more interested in music and creative arts. He plays piano by ear. He likes movies. Gisele Bündchen actually had to step in and tell Tom to basically "effing understand" that his son is his own person. It was a wake-up call for the GOAT.
"I was like, 'C’mon, let’s do this.' And he was like, 'Nope.' And I was like, 'What? No, do this!'" Brady told Men's Health.
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Eventually, something shifted. Benny decided he wanted to play football, but not because he wanted to be the next Tom Brady. He wanted to be like Rob Gronkowski. He told his dad he wanted to be a tight end. Tom actually texted Gronk to tell him the news.
It’s a perfect example of how the relationship between Tom Brady with his son Benjamin evolved from "be like me" to "I’ll support whoever you are." Nowadays, you’ll see Tom posting videos of Benny dunking a basketball, jokingly tagging the University of Michigan.
Parenting Without a Playbook
Tom has been surprisingly humble about his parenting "failures." At the Fortune Global Forum in late 2024, he flat-out admitted he’s "screwed up a lot."
He doesn't claim to be an expert. He’s just a dad trying to be "dependable and consistent."
The Co-Parenting Dynamic
The family structure is unique, too. You’ve got Jack’s mom, Bridget Moynahan, and Benjamin’s mom, Gisele Bündchen. Despite the divorces and the high-profile splits, they’ve managed to keep a united front.
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- Jack spends significant time with both parents in New York and Florida.
- Benjamin and Vivian split time between Gisele’s place in Miami and Tom’s various home bases.
- The Goal: Keeping things positive so the kids feel "surrounded by love" rather than caught in a tabloid crossfire.
What Really Matters: Beyond the Turf
What most people get wrong about Tom Brady with his son is the idea that it’s all about sports. It’s not. It’s about the transition from being a professional athlete to being a professional father.
When you spend 23 years being the center of the universe, shifting that focus to your kids is a massive life change. Brady has said that his kids have watched enough of his games; now it’s time for him to watch theirs. Whether that’s a football game in the Bronx or a piano recital, he’s showing up.
He recently wrote a letter for Jack's 18th birthday, reflecting on how "none of us get here alone." He credited his own parents for never telling him his dreams were too big, and he's trying to pass that same "go for it" energy down to his sons.
Lessons for Other Parents
- Stop Comparing: Your kid isn't your "mini-me." They are their own person.
- Acknowledge the Pressure: If you're successful in your field, realize your kids are feeling that weight.
- Show Up: Be the "dependable" presence, even if you aren't the "expert" parent.
- Support the Pivot: If they want to play tight end instead of QB—or piano instead of football—let them.
The "Brady Bunch" isn't a perfect TV show. It’s a real, blended family navigating some pretty extreme circumstances. But at the end of the day, when you see Tom Brady with his son on a golf course or a sideline, you aren't seeing a legend and his heir. You're just seeing a guy who’s realized that his seven rings don't mean much if he doesn't "get it right" at home.
The next time you see a photo of them together, look past the designer clothes and the height. Notice the way they interact. It’s clear that while being Tom Brady’s son might "suck" because of the cameras, having Tom Brady as a dad—one who finally learned to listen—is a win in its own right.
Actionable Insight: If you're a parent struggling to connect with a child who has different interests than you, take a page out of the Brady playbook: stop pushing your own "draft board" on them. Spend one week doing only what they want to do—whether that's gaming, music, or a sport you don't understand. Relationship building happens in their world, not yours.