Tom Brady has opened up about his 11-day absence from the field, saying he stepped away from the Buccaneers for a while for “personal matters.”
Brady returned to football last weekend. He made his preseason debut in the final exhibition on Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts. Brady reportedly went on vacation to the Bahamas with his wife, Gisele, while missing the previous two preseason games. He did not confirm or deny this rumor.
“It’s all personal,” he said. “Everyone’s got different situations they’re dealing with. We all have really unique challenges to our life. I’m 45 years old, man. There’s a lot of shit going on. Just gotta try to figure out life the best you can. It’s a continuous process.”
Concerns surrounding Brady
There were concerns over whether Brady would be rusty after his absences as it was the first time he had taken a long time off in his career. However, he dismissed the concerns by giving a 20-yard pass to Julio Jones, which led to a field goal.
Brady displayed a stellar performance in the last game against Indianapolis. He played one series, setting up a 30-yard field goal by Ryan Succop, and completed six of his eight passing attempts for 44 yards.
“I feel good. I’ve played football for a long time. I’m pretty good at it,” Brady said. “Doesn’t take me long for me to remember how to play it.”
There has also been a rumor that the future Hall of Fame quarterback will move to other teams. The Buccaneers said that Brady’s absence had been planned prior, and the team was supportive of that.
After leaving the New England Patriots in free agency in the 2020 season, Brady had to choose between the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Bucs.
Brady said he wanted to play for Tampa Bay back then. Now, the seven-time Super Bowl said he was happy with his current team.
“I think since I came to this organization, it’s been amazing – it’s just been an amazing experience for me to come to this place and be as supported as I have for a long period of time,” the 45-year-old said.
“I read all these stories about all these different places I was supposed to go or could have gone. And I was like, ‘I only was gonna go to one place, which was here.’ I think this whole organization knows that.”
Preparing for regular season
The Buccaneers conceded a 27-10 defeat from the Colts, delaying the celebration for Brady’s return to the team. The Buccaneers will now prepare for their regular season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, 11 September, at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“We’ve had some injuries with the line we’re all dealing with but you know, try to put together a good unit to go out there and compete,” Brady said.
“We’re playing against a really good opponent in Dallas. It’s going to be a really good test for us.”
Tampa Bay will be looking to protect Brady in the opener as the offensive line took two hits in the game against the Colts. Guard Nick Leverett also suffered a shoulder injury, while center Robert Hainsey sustained a left ankle injury.