CNN
—
Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles says he’s not concerned about Tom Brady’s absence from the team but admits he can’t give a date for his star’s return just yet.
Last week, it was announced that the 45-year-old quarterback would be taking some time “to attend to personal matters” and wouldn’t be back until after the team’s second preseason game on Aug. 20 against the Tennessee Titans.
“We’ll see. We’ll talk about it next week. I’m not worried about that right now,” Bowles told reporters when asked when Brady could return.
“We’re trying to practice against Tennessee and play a game. I said sometime to Tennessee.
“There’s no definitive date for me, but we’ll check, we’ll keep in touch and we’ll find out.”
It’s unclear why Brady, who initially announced his retirement in February only to later reverse his decision, is taking the excused absence, but Bowles said it was a plan that was in place before preseason training camp began.
Since joining the Bucs from the New England Patriots in 2020, Brady has helped dramatically improve the team’s fortunes.
The Bucs, a perennial underachiever before his arrival, won the Super Bowl in Brady’s first season at the helm and earned the legendary QB his seventh Super Bowl ring.
The team underperformed last season, but many are predicting another run for the Super Bowl title this year, even though their talisman is currently out of action.
“We’re just working on our practice with Tennessee. Tom [Brady] has nothing to do with the coaches,” Bowles added.
The Bucs start their regular season on September 11 against the Dallas Cowboys.