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 sabbatical. The most obvious reason might be the exact reason.
Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson reported on Sunday that Brady has been away from the Bucs for over a week mainly to spend time with his family. Sources told Wilson that Brady visited a resort dedicated to his wife, Gisele at one point during the hiatus. There is no medical emergency, as many other NFL insiders have said.
After Brady left the Bucs on August 11, head coach Todd Bowles said the break was pre-arranged. Bowles did not give a definite answer on when Brady will return, but he said Sunday that the 45-year-old midfielder will return to the team as early as this week.
Brady spent more time with his family in the latter part of his career. He missed the OTAs with the New England Patriots in 2018, though those practices are optional. It is not unusual for him to leave the team during a key part of the season.
Brady announced his retirement shortly after the 2021 season but changed his mind less than two months later. It looks like – if not likely – he committed to his family when he thought he wouldn’t play this season. A very delicious theory of Brady’s absence came out this week, but the actual story seems a lot more boring than that.
