Tom Brady will take some time away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for personal reasons.
Head coach Todd Bowles told reporters Thursday that the star quarterback will be away from the team until after their second preseason game on Aug. 20. Per ESPN’s Jenna Laine, they previously communicated this absence for Brady to “deal with some personal things.”
Bowles described his confidence in Brady returning for the start of the regular season as “pretty high.”
Bowles had already said Brady wouldn’t play in Saturday night’s exhibition game against the Miami Dolphins. The 45-year-old may have at most played a series or two in next weekend’s preseason contest with the Tennessee Titans.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion missed two practices last week. Brady received a day off for his birthday on Aug. 3 and was excused from last Friday’s practice.
It’s undetermined whether Brady will play in Tampa Bay’s final preseason game on Aug. 27. The Buccaneers probably won’t mind him sitting out that matchup as long as he’s ready for Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 11.