Tom Brady returned to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp this past week and addressed his 11 day absence.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, Tom Brady, in a game against the Washington Football Team at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland on November 14, 2021. Photo Credit: All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
“It’s all personal,” Brady told the media following Tampa Bay’s final preseason game against the Colts. “Everyone’s got different situations they’re dealing with, so we all have really unique challenges. I’m 45 years old, man. There’s a lot of s*** going on.”
“You just got to figure out life the best you can. It’s a continuous process,” he added.
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That answer did not exactly put the rumors to bed. Fans and pundits are throwing out a number of theories as to why Brady was missing. Explanations range from vacation with his wife to plastic surgery to filming “The Masked Singer”, although Brady addressed the last one via Twitter.
“Wasn’t on the masked singer last week,” Brady tweeted along with a video ad for his apparel company. “Was wearing a mask though.”
Wasn’t on the masked singer last week. Was wearing a mask though. https://t.co/E3wg9LaC1I
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) August 22, 2022
Bucs coach Tom Bowles previously indicated that the absence was planned and Brady had been excused telling the media, “Tom has been excused today. He’ll be back sometime around after Tennessee. He’s going to deal with some personal things.”
“This is something we talked about before training camp started. We allotted this time because he wanted to get in and get chemistry with the guys and go through two weeks of training camp,” he explained.
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This adds another wrinkle to an eventful off-season for Brady. The seven-time Super Bowl winner made headlines back in February when he announced his retirement. 40 days later, Brady “un-retired” and said he would return to the Bucs for his 23rd pro season.
Tom Brady Twitter
Then, in May, Fox Sports announced that Brady will join their broadcast team when he (actually) retires. That gig will reportedly pay him $375 million over 10 years. Brady hasn’t confirmed when he’ll give up football, but this most recent story indicates it might be sooner than later.
Then again, Brady previously said he’d give up football when he “sucks”, and that certainly has not happened.
Tom Brady in Washington Football Team vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers from FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland, November 14th, 2021 (All-Pro Reels Photography)` Photo Credit: All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
What do you think of Brady’s absence from camp? Will this year be his last?