Tom Brady to be away from Bucs for ‘personal reasons’

Dec 5, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) reacts on the field prior to the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Tom Brady was absent from practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, and he will not be returning for a while.

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles told reporters that Brady is away from the team to “deal with some personal things.” Bowles said the arrangement was made in advance. Brady will not return until after Tampa Bay’s preseason game against the Tennessee Titans on Aug. 20.

Todd Bowles tells us Tom Brady will not return until after the team faces the Titans this preseason. He says this is something that was discussed before training camp started and he’s dealing with a personal matter. #gobucs #nflnetwork

— Sara Walsh (@Sara_Walsh) August 11, 2022

Bowles did not give an exact date for Brady’s return. He also stopped short of guaranteeing that the 45-year-old quarterback will be on the field in Week 1, which led to a follow-up question about whether that is in doubt.

Asked about his level of confidence that Brady will start in Week 1 at Dallas, Bowles said: "Mine's pretty high." Asked later to clarify any doubt that would suggest: "There's no doubt. Obviously there's always going to be doubt, but I have a pretty high level of confidence."

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) August 11, 2022

Brady has missed some time during voluntary workouts over the last several years, but he has never left his team during training camp and the preseason. Of course, he is one of the few players in the NFL who can miss important practices and not have it impact his play when the season begins. Time will tell if that ends up being the case with the Bucs.