Bucs’ Tom Brady Puts NFL on Notice

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady reiterated on social media he’s ready for his 23rd NFL season.

Brady posted a hype video on Instagram with the comment “ready to go” on Sunday, August 28. It came a day after he went 6-8 for 44 yards in one drive against the Indianapolis Colts for the preseason finale on August 27.

“I’m ready to go,” Brady told the media afterward.

Brady had been the subject of speculation amid his 11-day absence from the team during training camp and the first two preseason games. He called the decision for the break “personal” and shot down rumors that he wanted to play elsewhere.

Amid the noise of Brady’s mid camp break, NFL players voted him as the No. 1 player for the top 100 players in 2022 on Sunday, August 28. It marked the fourth time Brady has received the honor. Brady responded on social media to the honor on Monday.

“This is just a testament to the family, teammates, coaches, staff, and every single one of you who’ve supported me along the way. Thank you all. Let’s go get another one,” Brady wrote on Twitter. 

Brady, 45, had an MVP-caliber season in 2021 when he led the league in passing with 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns. He notably led the Bucs successful two-year stretch in franchise history with a Super Bowl win for the 2020 season and a 13-win season in 2021 with a division title.

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Ex-Brady Teammate’s Hot Take on Privacy

Given Brady’s public recognition, it’s difficult to keep his personal life private, especially after his 11-day absence.

Former teammate Jason McCourty shed light on that during Monday’s “Good Morning Football” episode. McCourty played with Brady during his final two seasons with the New England Patriots.

“I just couldn’t imagine being Tom Brady,” McCourty said. “I remember one of the guys in New England asked him, ‘hey Tom, it’s 10 o’ clock at night [and] someone in the house goes to use the restroom and there’s no toilet paper. What do you do?’ Tom can’t just roll into Walgreens or another fast pharmacy.”

“Babe, I never run out of toilet paper. Never happens,” McCourty recalls Brady saying to his teammate.

“Brady doesn’t run out of toilet paper. It’s just so hard to be him. [He] can’t just walk … [and] can’t be a normal guy,” McCourty added.

Brady nonetheless posts the occasional personal photo or video on social media. He did it Monday when his youngest children headed off to school on scooters.

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Brady Gets Real?

Speculation about Brady’s absence swirled again after his lone preseason appearance when he addressed the media.

“It’s all personal. Everyone’s got different situations they’re dealing with,” Brady told reporters on August 27 . “We all have really unique challenges to our life. I’m 45 years old, man. There’s a lot of s— going on. Just gotta try to figure out life the best you can. It’s a continuous process.”

NBC Sports’ Rich Eisen said Brady “sounded maybe the most relatable he’s ever been” in that press conference. Eisen noted that Brady has an ideal life in the world’s terms, but the show host added that even Brady has real-life challenges.

“Clearly something’s going on personally that we shouldn’t pry,” Eisen said. “Just let the guy figure it out himself.”

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