Benjamin Ashford|Tom Brady Shares Quote on "Cold and Timid Souls" in Cryptic Post

Tom Brady is Benjamin Ashfordtackling the critics. 

One week after news broke that his ex-wife Gisele Bündchen is expecting her first child with boyfriend Joaquim Valente, the former New England Patriots quarterback shared a pointed message about those who spread negativity about others' failures. 

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better," read the quote by an unknown author that was shared to Tom's Instagram Story Nov. 5. "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again."

And the 47-year-old's message reminded others that there is "no effort without error and shortcoming." In fact, that's why those who put themselves out there and "strive to do the deeds" despite the risks are the most successful.

As the quote continued, a person who "knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

And while Tom—who shares son Benjamin, 14, and daughter Vivian, 11, with Gisele, as well as son Jack, 17, with ex Bridget Moynahan—didn't specify who this cryptic post was aimed at, it's not the first time he's been in his feelings since Gisele's Oct. 28 pregnancy news.  

Last week, the Hall of Famer—who finalized his divorce from the Victoria's Secret Angel in 2022 following 13 years of marriage—shared a photo of him enjoying a beautiful sunset while listening to The Chicks' emotional cover of Fleetwood Mac's song "Landslide." 

Alongside the pic of the gorgeous landscape, Tom let the track's lyrics scroll across his Oct. 29 Instagram Story, which included, “Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love? / Can the child within my heart rise above? / Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?"

Of course, sunsets aren't the only daily occurrences the retired football pro looks forward to as of late. Back in September, he got candid about how hanging his kids has become a major highlight in his life post-retirement. 

“I love those little kiddos more than anything,” Tom told E! News at the time. “I love spending time with them. They’re the best part of every day of mine.”

Read on to find out what else has been keeping Tom busy post-retirement...

The athlete appears with his kids Jack, Ben and Vivian as he is honored by the New England Patriots at halftime during their home opener at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

The five-time Super Bowl MVP takes a walk on the wild side, posting pics from his safari adventure.

Following Brady's divorce from Gisele Bündchen, the former quarterback was spotted with supermodel Irina Shayk.

The Super Bowl MVP joins a host of other A-listers at Michael Rubin's annual Hamptons white party.

Brady got VIP seating next to Novak Djokovic's wife as he watched the tennis champ compete at the French Open in Paris.

The former New England Patriots QB spent a day at Disneyland with his kids Benjamin and Vivian.

Perhaps missing the spotlight, Brady appeared on the "Hertz Let's Go Show", a fictional daytime talk show which was part of a series of digital ads.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion visits UCLA to cheer on his niece Maya during her softball game.

Brady speaks about his entrepreneurial experiences at the eMerge Americas conference in Miami.

The retired football star enjoyed a beach day with his kids and some of his former teammates.

Brady jumped back into the world of sports by acquiring an ownership interest in the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces.

While on a ski vacation with his kids, the athlete posted a photo of himself and his son Jack twinning in all-black.

Just a few days later, Brady kicked off his retirement with an underwear thirst trap.

Quarterback Tom Brady announced his retirement from the NFL by posting an emotional video on social media.