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As Tom Brady’s absence from the Buccaneers wanes on, coach Todd Bowles insisted Friday the club will continue to stay the course in regards to the superstar quarterback’s return.
Brady’s excused yet unexplained hiatus has sparked rampant speculation since it was announced on Aug. 11 that the 45-year-old would be taking a break due to personal reasons. Despite the lack of news concerning Brady’s situation, Bowles told reporters there is no reason to panic, reiterating the QB will be back with the team following Saturday’s preseason game versus the Titans.
“Do I look worried?” Bowles said, via the Tampa Bay Times. “I’m not worried, so I don’t know why anyone else would be worried.
“I know exactly when Tom is coming back, and I’ve consistently said it would be sometime after the Titans game.”
In the days since Brady stepped away from practice, Bowles has said on numerous occasions that he expected the QB to be back with the team some time after Tampa’s matchup against Tennessee on Aug. 20. He also previously stated Brady’s plan had already been discussed before the start of training camp, with the goal of having him “go through two weeks of training camp knowing he wasn’t going to play the first two games.”
While this latest update may ease the worries of some Bucs fans, the timing will likely ignite even more conversation after Bowles, ironically, said Thursday there is “no definitive date” for Brady’s return. The Bucs will travel to face the Colts in their preseason finale on Aug. 24 before facing the Cowboys in Dallas on Sept. 11 to begin the season.
“We’ll see. We’ll talk about it next week,” he 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.”
