TAMPA, Fla. — For all the fans who bought tickets for the first two preseason games expecting to see Tom Brady but were sadly disappointed — the G.O.A.T. has made his way back to the field.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers played its first two preseason games against the Miami Dolphins and Tennessee Titans without the star quarterback.
Earlier this month, the team confirmed Brady's absence saying he would be back after the Aug. 20 game. And just like that, he was at practice Monday with his teammates.
His absence is said not to be a health-related issue. Head coach Todd Bowles said previously it's a personal issue and "that's all I can tell you."
"He’s going to deal with some personal things. This is something we talked about before training camp started," Bowles said while speaking with the media after training camp earlier this month. "We allotted this time because he wanted to get in and get chemistry with the guys and go through two weeks of training camp.
"Knowing he wasn’t going to play the first two games, he didn’t want to take away reps from Blaine [Gabbert] and Kyle [Trask], as well as 'Griff' (Ryan Griffin), as far as going into these next two games. It’s something that he needs to handle. We trust him."
Looking forward to the regular season, the Buccaneers are steadfast that Brady will be ready by Game 1.
"There’s no doubt," Bowles said previously on if the veteran quarterback will be in the lineup come Sept. 11.