Report sheds light on Tom Brady’s unusual leave of absence

Sep 9, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) reacts after defeating the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

Tom Brady will not be with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for at least the next nine days due to what has been described as a personal matter, and we may now have a better idea of why the seven-time Super Bowl champion is taking time off.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles told reporters on Thursday that Brady will be away from the team through at least Aug. 20 to tend to some “personal things.” That led many to wonder if Brady or a member of the quarterback’s family is having a health issue. During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Media said he was led to believe everyone in Brady’s family is fine.

“It was planned. No one is worried. He’s fine. It’s not, to my knowledge, a medical emergency for him or anyone close to him. I was told everything is OK,” Rapoport said. “The best description I got for this is that it is important to find a work/life balance. Brady has been doing this for 23 years. He knows the scheme as well as anyone. He wasn’t gonna play in those two (preseason) games anyway, so he steps aside to do some actual personal things, family things.”

Host Pat McAfee then asked Rapoport if it could be that Brady committed to something with his family during his brief retirement and wants to see that through. Rapoport said that is possible and that Brady has to tend to “a family thing that is happening that is good.”

You can hear more below:

"To my knowledge Tom Brady & his family are fine & it's not a medical emergency.. the best description I got was it's important to find a work/life balance" ~@RapSheet#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/AmMn4Gr2RC

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 11, 2022

Brady has spoken many times over the past several years about making time for his family. He missed a significant portion of voluntary workouts in his final seasons with the New England Patriots to do just that. The timing is what makes Brady’s hiatus from the Bucs so unusual.

We will probably never know the real reason Brady took time off in the middle of training camp. As long as he is on the field in Week 1, the absence will mean very little.

Brady’s wife Gisele had a noteworthy public reaction when the 45-year-old reversed course on his brief retirement. It is possible that Brady made a promise to his family when he thought he would not be playing in 2022 and did not want to go back on it.