Generally speaking, Tom Brady is pretty hard to miss.
When he's on the field on Sundays, all cameras are on him. When he's on the practice field, the same can be said.
In August, though, Brady unexpectedly stepped away from the Buccaneers during the middle of preseason, which was somewhat of a mystery to media and teammates alike. While veterans usually benefit from practice breaks, Brady's absence seemed to be a bit more than that, sending the rumor mill into a frenzy.
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As the Buccaneers get their 2022 season underway on Sunday vs. the Cowboys, we're no closer or further from finding out the circumstances surrounding Brady's absence. The team has maintained that Brady's break was planned and expected prior to the exit — Todd Bowles has gone as far to say it was a "good thing" for the team — there's still an air of mystery surrounding it.
Brady even weighed in on it after his return.
#Bucs QB Tom Brady on his 11-day absence from training camp: “I’m 45 years old, man. There’s a lot of sh*t going on.”
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 28, 2022
(🎥 @Buccaneers)pic.twitter.com/8WPupuB3XP
"I'm 45 years old, man," Brady said on Aug. 27.
There's a lot of s— going on. You just gotta try and figure out life the best you can. It's a continuous process.
Here's what we know — or may not know — about his mid-preseason departure:
Tom Brady's preseason absence
There were a number of rumors surrounding Brady's departure, from the obvious to the obscure. Here are some of the more prominent reports from this offseason:
National Lampoon's 'Brady Vacation'
One of the first rumored explanations that surfaced from Brady's absence revolved around non-refundable airline tickets, probably.
According to Pro Football Network's Aaron Wilson, Brady's mysterious absence was actually a planned vacation to the Bahamas with wife Gisele Bundchen. Wilson says that Brady's "commitment to family and having a personal life was at the heart of this hiatus from football."
Seems innocent enough.
Family matters
Some speculation that circled surrounded the health of Brady's immediate family, but multiple reports (including the aforementioned PFN report) indicated that Brady's family were all in good health. So, that's good.
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The masked man
Batman? The Green Lantern?
No. "The Masked Singer."
A wild conspiracy theory that popped up on Reddit seemed to indicate that Brady was potentially taking time away from the field in order to tape an appearance on Fox's hit show, "The Masked Singer."
The Reddit theory explains that the taping dates of "The Masked Singer" lined up with Brady's absence, as well as the added angle that Brady, who signed a future deal with Fox as the network's color commentator as well as brand ambassador, would be on the show to help promote it.
Brady would take to Twitter to dispel the rumors, though, with a little bit of humor ladled in.
Wasn’t on the masked singer last week. Was wearing a mask though. https://t.co/E3wg9LaC1I
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) August 22, 2022
Trouble in paradise?
There's also the Page 6 stuff that has seeped into the mainstream in recent weeks surrounding the marital health between Brady and Gisele Bundchen. Citing sources, the gossip pages indicate that things have been rocky between the two, with disagreements surrounding Brady's retirement and subsequent un-retirement this offseason.
Ultimately, it's not much of anyone's business what's happening behind closed doors of the Brady household, but it might at least serve as a little insight to the training camp absence.