Tom Brady is set to return to training camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week, and the NFL world is still wondering why the seven-time Super Bowl champion took an unprecedented leave of absence. The most obvious reason may be the correct one.
Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reported on Sunday that Brady left the Bucs for over a week primarily to spend time with his family. Sources told Wilson that Brady visited an exclusive resort with his wife Gisele at one point during the hiatus. There was no medical emergency, as many other NFL insiders had already said.
After Brady left the Bucs on Aug. 11, head coach Todd Bowles said the time off was prearranged. Bowles did not give a definitive answer for when Brady would return, but he said Sunday that the 45-year-old quarterback will be back with the team early this week.
Brady has taken more time off to be with his family during the latter part of his career. He missed OTAs with the New England Patriots in 2018, though those practices are optional. It was uncharacteristic of him to leave his team during an important part of the offseason.
Brady announced his retirement shortly after the 2021 season but changed his mind less than two months later. It seems possible — if not likely — that he made a commitment to his family when he thought he would not be playing this season. One very juicy theory about Brady’s absence surfaced this week, but the real story seems a lot more boring than that.
