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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is back with the team. That, however, hasn't halted the speculation about why he left in the first place. The latest explanation comes courtesy of Aaron Wilson at Pro Football Network.
Wilson claimed Brady had been vacationing with his wife Gisele Bundchen in the Bahamas. Wilson went on to state that this had been pre-arranged prior to Brady's return from his short-lived retirement. Wilson said:
"League sources indicated that his time away from the team included a trip to the Bahamas at an exclusive resort and primarily for family time with his wife, Gisele Bündchen. His commitment to family and having a personal life was at the heart of this hiatus from football, and there was no medical emergency, as speculated, or other reasons... A league source said that he was definitely not expected to retire again and would fulfill his commitments to his coaches and teammates.”
The rumor mill has been in overdrive since the Bucs announced Tom Brady's sabbatical from training camp. Tampa Bay gave little away in regard to the reasons behind Brady's absence, but head coach Todd Bowles has never given any inclination that he was overly concerned.
Bowles recently said:
“I know exactly when Tom is coming back, and I’ve consistently said it would be sometime after the Titans game. Do I look worried? I’m not worried, so I don’t know why anyone else would be worried.”
The false rumors concerning Tom Brady's absence
Todd Bowles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers told everyone that nothing was amiss, but the NFL community did not want to believe them. Ever since the news broke a couple of weeks ago, all sorts of weird and wacky rumors have circulated, which sought to explain Tom Brady's absence.
Perhaps, the strangest was the suggestion that Brady had signed up to appear on "The Masked Singer." The popular reality singing show is due to begin a new season next month, and the majority of the NFL community was convinced that Tom Brady was a contestant.
Tom Brady would not have been the first NFL star to display their singing talents on the show, after appearances from Rob Gronkowski, Terry Bradshaw and others. Another rumor that seemed to have gained a lot of traction on social media was the idea that Brady may retire.
Following his aborted retirement this off-season, and the documented findings from the Flores investigation, NFL insiders have suggested that Brady wants out of Tampa. That may turn out to be the case, but it certainly doesn't look like he will be heading anywhere this season.
Tom Brady is back and will go in search of an eighth Super Bowl ring. What happens after that is anyone's guess. But you can be sure that the NFL community will enjoy speculating about it.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Pro Football Network, NFL Network and H/T Sportskeeda.
