Gisele Bündchen Is 'Really Happy' as She Was 'Hoping' Tom Brady Would Retire Last Super Bowl: Source

Gisele Bündchen is ready to spend more time with her husband.

Following Tom Brady's retirement from the NFL, a source tells PEOPLE that the supermodel, 41, has been waiting for her husband to hang up his jersey for some time.

"Gisele has been hoping he would retire already for a few years, especially after he won the Super Bowl with the Bucs," the insider tells PEOPLE. "She's really happy because she would really worry about him. She hates seeing him get hit."

The source adds that the dad of three is "just ready for the next chapter" with his family. "Every year he would weigh his options but this year felt different," the source says.

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Brady, 44, shares daughter Vivian Lake, 9, and son Benjamin Rein, 12, with Bündchen and son John "Jack" Edward, 14, with ex Bridget Moynahan.

He gave a special shoutout to his family in his post on Tuesday as he announced his official retirement after 22 seasons.

Tom Brady/Instagram

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Brady wrote, "And lastly, to my wife, Gisele, and my children Jack, Benny and Vivi. You are my inspiration."

"Our family is my greatest achievement. I always came off the field and home to the most loving and supportive wife who has done EVERYTHING for our family to allow me to focus on my career. Her selflessness allowed me to reach new heights professionally, and I am beyond words what you mean to me and our family," he continued.

Brady was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2000, and spent the first 20 seasons of his career with the team, winning six Super Bowls. His final two seasons in the NFL were played with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who Brady led to his seventh Super Bowl victory in 2021.

On Tuesday, Bündchen celebrated his long career with a heartfelt message on social media.

"What a ride my love!" Bündchen captioned the Twitter post, adding a heart emoji and a tag for her footballer husband.

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In the attached statement, written in both English and Portuguese, Bündchen continued, "So many memories! When I met you over 15 years ago, I didn't know the first thing about football. But cheering for you and seeing you do what you love most made me learn about this wonderful game to the point that I seriously believed I knew more than the referees!"

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She also called her husband "the most dedicated, focused and mentally tough person I have ever met," going on to mention how he "never once complained over the years about all the bruises and aches and pains. You just kept focusing on your goal to go out there and be the best leader there was to all your teammates."

"There is nothing you can't achieve. I have always been here for you, you know that, and I'm as excited as you are for what the future holds!" she concluded, before writing, "Words can't really express how grateful I am to everyone who has been so supportive of my husband and our family for so many years."