Tom Brady long has expressed his desire to find a work-life balance when it comes to competing on the football field and spending time with his family. It appears it could be the leading cause in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback taking some time away from the team's training camp.
Brady, 45, was excused from practice Thursday and head coach Todd Bowles shared how the legendary signal-caller will not return to the team until after Tampa Bay's second preseason game against the Tennessee Titans on Aug. 20. Bowles referred to as a "personal issue," but added how it was pre-planned before the Buccaneers started camp.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport provided further insight into Brady's absence while making an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Thursday afternoon.
"Here's everything I understand about this: It was planned. No one is worried. He's fine. It's not, to my knowledge, a medical emergency related to him or, I believe, anyone close to him," Rapoport said. "I was told everything is OK. The best description I got about this was that, it is important to find a work-life balance."
Brady previously skipped organized team activities in the spring to spend more time with his family when he was a member of the New England Patriots.
"Finding a work-life balance is extremely important," Rapoport added. "So, he steps aside to, it sounds like, do some actual personal, family things. ... A family thing that I believe is happening, that is good."
Rapoport and McAfee hypothesized that Brady, during his incredibly brief retirement, might have scheduled something to do with his family in thinking he would not be in the middle of training camp. Rapoport, albeit hesitantly, acknowledged that could be along of the lines of the reasoning for Brady's absence.
Bowles, again confirming Brady's absence was pre-planned, explained how the quarterback felt it was more important to be with the team to start training camp in order to build connections. With Brady not playing in either of Tampa Bay's first two preseason games, his absence will allow backup signal-callers to gain reps without him in the way.
