Tom Brady went through an uncharacteristic August as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers gear up for the 2022 NFL season.
Brady was absent from the Bucs for 11 days to tend to matters that were described as "personal." The 45-year-old quarterback made his preseason debut Saturday night in Indianapolis, but he didn't sound like he was in great spirits after the Bucs battled the Colts. One Tampa Bay reporter even believes Brady is "still tormented" by whatever he's dealing with off the football field.
So, should the Buccaneers be worried at all about Brady with their regular-season opener less than two weeks away? The answer to that question couldn't be any clearer to former head coach Bruce Arians.
"No, not whatsoever," Arians said Tuesday on ESPN's "First Take." "Watching him at practice every day, he's throwing the ball better than he has in like 10 years. When he's on the practice field, the energy level in the whole building goes up. Not worried about Tom. He's one guy you don't have to worry about."
Arians, who now works as a consultant for the Bucs, probably isn't just being a company man here. Dealing with important off-the-field issues during an NFL season is something Brady has managed in the past and he never let those matters affect his play. Look no further than the New England Patriots' 2016 campaign, which concluded with an emotional Super Bowl win for the future Hall of Famer.
So when the Bucs roll into Dallas for a Week 1 matchup against the Cowboys on Sept. 11, it most likely will be business as usual for TB12.
