There have been some questions surrounding Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady after he left Buccaneers’ training camp earlier this month, reportedly due to a personal matter.
No expected return date for Brady had been made public, but it now appears that he may be returning to the organization in the near future.
According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, Brady (seen above ahead of a Sept. 26 game last year) is expected to return to the team “very shortly” after a couple of weeks away from the organization.
Bucs’ QB Tom Brady is expected to return to the team, per a source, “very shortly.” Brady left the team earlier this month for personal reasons.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 21, 2022
Many around the NFL world are excited to hear that Brady’s personal matters are seemingly behind him and that he should be good to go for the upcoming season, with some noting that this fits the timeline head coach Todd Bowles had stated of after Saturday’s preseason game (a 13-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans).
So, exactly what Bowles has been saying the whole time. https://t.co/8hum2eCSHj
— Luke Easterling (@LukeEasterling) August 21, 2022
That's that. https://t.co/fCAbRJm6Ir
— Blogging The Boys (@BloggingTheBoys) August 21, 2022
Tom Brady returning to One Buc this week…#GoBucs #Bucs pic.twitter.com/oudjfd0BQw
— CHRIS TORELLO 𝕏 (@TorelloSports) August 21, 2022
However, some noted that there are still issues for the Bucs even after Brady’s return, perhaps especially on the injury-riddled offensive line.
Tom Brady will return down another lineman https://t.co/maNDdaclTX
— Danielle Stein (@Danielle_Stein9) August 21, 2022
The #Bucs have alrdy lost two interior OL before the season begins – not to mention stud RT Tristan Wirfs' injury earlier this wk that saw him carted off – and the #Cowboys D-Line looks juiced.
Tom Brady when you ask him what week he'll be back w/the team
https://t.co/U9pqg5JvnB pic.twitter.com/KTlzy8pUii — Roy White III (@RDubThree) August 21, 2022
Bowles has remained adamant that he was not worried about Brady’s situation. And in comments after Saturday’s game, he didn’t rule out the possibility of Brady taking part in the team’s final preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts next Saturday.
“Not yet,” Bowles said when asked if the team has made a decision on Brady’s status for the game. “We’ll see how practice goes, and we’ll make those decisions at the end of the week.”
The seven-time Super Bowl champion has been rarely used in the preseason in past years, so it wouldn’t be shocking if the team decided to hold him out of next week’s game.
As noted above, Brady will return to a Buccaneers team that is far different than the one that he left. They lost Rob Gronkowski to retirement this offseason, and have since lost starting center Ryan Jensen, starting right tackle Tristian Wirfs, and now Stinnie to significant injuries.
This may cause some real issues for the Buccaneers’ offense moving forward. But Brady has been known to overcome the odds time and time again throughout his career.
[Adam Schefter, Pro Football Talk; photo from Robert Hanashiro/USA Today Sports]