NFL training camp 2022: Tom Brady to rejoin Buccaneers early this week after absence
Tom Brady’s leave of absence is apparently nearly over.
Brady is expected to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sometime early this week, coach Todd Bowles said on Sunday. Bowles did not say when, but the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said Brady is expected to rejoin the team on Monday.
#Bucs coach Todd Bowles tells reporters that QB Tom Brady will be back early this week. I’m told tomorrow is the expected day he returns.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 21, 2022
Bowles said on Aug. 11 that Brady was leaving the team to deal with “personal things,” though it’s unclear what those were specifically. The absence was pre-planned, and Bowles said that Brady has been communicating with him and the rest of the coaching staff during his time away.
[Set, hut, hike! Create or join a fantasy football league now!]
Bowles also said Sunday they have yet to decide whether Brady will play in their third and final preseason game on Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts.
“We'll see how practice goes and we'll make those decisions at the end of the week," Bowles said, via ESPN’s Jenna Laine.
Even if Brady does start, it's unlikely that he'd play more than a few drives. Backup Kyle Trask has been leading the team so far this preseason, which marks his second year in the league.
While a starting quarterback leaving for more than a week during the preseason is certainly unusual, it sounds like the Buccaneers aren’t too concerned. With Brady returning early this week, there shouldn’t be a reason why he won’t start for their Week 1 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.
