Tom Brady says he takes pay cuts because his wife Gisele Bundchen 'makes a lot of money'

The quarterback is the 18th highest-paid player in the NFL

Tom Brady may be regarded by some as the greatest football player of all time, but that doesn’t mean he gets paid the most.

But, according to the quarterback for the New England Patriots and six-time Super Bowl winner, the pay doesn’t matter much to him - as his wife Gisele Bundchen makes enough.

The quarterback, who is the 18th highest-paid player, discussed his salary on Thursday during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he explained why he’s happy to let his supermodel wife be the main breadwinner.

After initially brushing off the question of why he doesn’t make the most of any player, Brady told the host: “I think the thing I’ve always felt for me in my life, winning has been a priority.

“And my wife makes a lot of money. I’m a little smarter than you think.”

Bundchen, who began modelling when she was 15, has an estimated net worth of $400m. In 2018, the model, who has previously held the title of highest-paid model in the world, came in fifth place on Forbes list of highest-paid models with an annual income of $10m.

According to NFL.com, Brady receives a salary of $15m, which does not include revenue from sponsorships.

The highest-paid player in the NFL, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, makes $35m a year after signing a four-year $140m extension last month.

Brady explained he doesn’t ask for more money because of the NFL salary cap on teams.

“Actually, it’s a salary cap and you can only spend so much and the more one guy gets it’s less for the others,” he said. “And for a competitive advantage standpoint, I like to get a lot of good players around me.”