Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Howles has said the team does not have a “definitive date” for star quarterback Tom Brady’s return to the field.
The Buccaneers announced last week that the player would be taking a leave due to personal reasons. Bowles initially claimed that Brady would return after the August 20 preseason game against the Tennessee Titans. However, his latest answer hinted at a later comeback.
The first-year head coach spoke to reporters this week on Thursday. Bowles said he was not concerned with Brady’s absence. He confirmed the team would remain in contact with Brady.
“We’ll see. We’ll talk about it next week,” Bowles said. “I’m not concerned about it right now. We’re trying to practice against Tennessee and play a game. I said sometime after Tennessee. There’s no definitive date for me. We’ll keep in touch and find out.”
Receiving team support
Bowles is not the only one who is not concerned with Brady’s absence. Bucs general manager Jason Licht and Brady’s teammates “have all brushed off any concerns” as long as Brady plays in Week 1 of the regular season.
Bowles also said last week that Brady’s leave had been planned prior to the start of the team’s training camp. The head coach asserted that the QB would have returned by September.
“This is something we talked about before training camp started. We allotted this time because he wanted to get in and get chemistry with the guys and go through two weeks of training camp,” he explained.
“Obviously, there’s always going to be doubt. But I have a pretty high level of confidence, yes.”
Teammate linebacker Devin White supported Brady’s decision of taking days off.
“He’s a grown man — (more grown) than most of us in the locker room, and he’s a human at the end of the day. He’s got personal problems going on, but he’s a guy that’s been doing this so long, he (doesn’t) need to be here,” White said.
“If he’s not here, we know that he’s still working. He has a great supporting cast around him and he’s going to get his work in whether he’s here or not here, so when he comes back, he’ll never miss a beat and that’s the only important thing.”
Brady’s career with Bucs
Since joining Tampa Bay in 2020, Brady has remained the franchise’s most valuable asset. The seven-time Super Bowl champ has appeared and started in a total of 33 games, completed 886 passes out of 1329 attempts for 9949 yards, and made 83 touchdowns.
Last season, the former New England Patriots led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns. Brady threw for 5316 yards and posted 43 TDs.
The San Mateo native confirmed his retirement earlier this year, only to announce his return to Raymond James Stadium 40 days later on March 30.
“These past two months I’ve realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” Brady said in March.
“That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa.”