Ever since it was announced that Tom Brady would be taking an extended absence away from the team for personal reasons, theories and emotions have been all over the place from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan base.
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles has been intentionally vague about the details of Brady’s absence, prioritizing his quarterback’s right to privacy as he continues to prepare the rest of his team for the regular season.
While some might wonder if Brady’s absence could extend beyond this weekend and into the regular season, Bowles spoke with Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times to help calm any concerns about when the GOAT will be back with the team.
“Do I look worried?” Bowles said, smiling broadly. “I’m not worried, so I don’t know why anyone else would be worried.
“I know exactly when Tom is coming back, and I’ve consistently said it would be sometime after the Titans game (on Saturday).”
Bowles indeed said originally that Brady would return sometime after Saturday’s preseason road game against the Titans, which follows a pair of joint practices between the two teams earlier this week. In addition, Bowles made it clear when Brady’s absence was announced that it was planned long before training camp.
While there’s obviously plenty of focus on Brady’s on-field presence (as well as whether or not he’s actually filming a TV show), here’s hoping the fact that this was a planned absence, and that Bowles knows when he’s coming back, means this was just an opportunity for Brady to get some valuable family time before the regular season begins.
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