Getty Tom Brady's absence from the Buccaneers remains a mystery.
Tom Brady is returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after an extended absence during the preseason. Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles revealed that Brady plans to return “early” during the week of August 21 but has not determined if the star quarterback will play in the team’s preseason finale against the Colts on Saturday, August 27, 2022.
“Like I said a week and a half ago, I said he’ll be back this week,” Bowles detailed during an August 21 press conference. “That hasn’t changed, we expect him back this week.”
Bowles declined to give a specific date but added, “it will be this week, early.” Tampa Bay initially announced Brady’s planned absence on August 11 but only revealed that the quarterback would return after the Bucs’ August 20 matchup against the Titans.
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Brady Will Be Back With the Buccaneers ‘Very Shortly,’ Says Schefter
Bowles’ comments came after ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Brady would be back with the Buccaneers “very shortly.” Neither the Buccaneers or Brady have specified the reason for the signal-caller’s extended absence, only describing the matter as “personal.”
“Bucs’ QB Tom Brady is expected to return to the team, per a source, ‘very shortly,'” Schefter tweeted on August 21. “Brady left the team earlier this month for personal reasons.”
Projected Starting Guard Aaron Stinnie Will Miss the Season: Report
#Buccaneers left guard Aaron Stinnie appeared to suffer a severe left knee injury tonight against the #Titans
By video, our panel of Pro Football Docs believe he will miss regular season time and could require an IR stint
Full details⏩https://t.co/QqC5D2sMwz
The bad news is Brady will return to a depleted offensive line with guard Aaron Stinnie as the latest player to sustain a significant injury. ESPN’s Jenna Laine reported that Stinnie will miss the entire season with a torn ACL and MCL. Center Ryan Jensen is out indefinitely with a knee injury, while tackle Tristan Wirfs is day-to-day with a strained oblique.
“The Buccaneers will be without guard Aaron Stinnie for the 2022 season after he suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee Saturday night, coach Todd Bowles announced Sunday,” Laine wrote on August 21. “Stinnie, who had started three postseason games for the Bucs in 2020, including Super Bowl LV, was in contention for the starting left guard job, which came open because of Ali Marpet’s sudden retirement.”
The Buccaneers Need a Post-Brady QB Plan
Dana White says Brady and Gronk ➡️ Raiders “was almost a done deal.” 😳 #UFC278
Brady’s brief absence put under a microscope the Buccaneers’ lack of a firm plan for the legend’s successor at quarterback. Veteran Blaine Gabbert would likely be the Bucs’ starter if Brady missed any time.
Tampa Bay selected Kyle Trask in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft but the young quarterback has yet to rise above third on the depth chart. Trask looked shaky against the Titans completing 11-of-24 passes for 105 yards and an interception. During a May 10 media session, Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen described 2022 as another “learning year” for Trask, adding that Gabbert has a firm grip on the backup gig.
“Yeah, I think it’s more of a learning year, I don’t see him competing with [Blaine] Gabbert this year,” Christensen explained. “Although, he could do it, just all the odds are stacked against you. You can’t rep everybody, you can’t get enough [reps]. It’s hard to get Gabbert enough reps, so we’ll prepare Gabbert as the No. 2. There’s always competition, right? There’s always someone looking for your job, but Gabbert will get [the reps].
“I don’t see that being an either-or, I see Gabbert being a backup, and Kyle being a developmental guy and we’ll rep ’em that way. And you know, if you jump off the screen and he outplays Brady, then he outplays Brady, and we’ll make some decisions, but when you go into it, you know the percentage chance of that happening isn’t very good. And we frankly can’t operate that way, you just don’t have enough reps to do that and get everyone prepared.”
Brady’s contract with the Bucs expires at the end of the season, and the team will likely need to address the position next offseason unless the legendary quarterback opts to re-sign with Tampa Bay in 2023. The superstar’s brief absence reinforces the reality that there is a significant drop-off after Brady on the Buccaneers quarterback depth chart.