"If he isn't dressed as a Goat, then it will suck" - Redditors react to wild theory that Tom Brady will be on latest season of The Masked Singer 

Tom Brady's not at practice, and there isn't an expectation of a quick return. The absence has Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans worried, detractors cheering, and others speculating why he needed a leave of absence.

One Redditor claimed the quarterback took the absence so that he could appear on The Masked Singer.

Here is the essence of the theory (the full theory can be found here). As the hypothesis points out, the quarterback is now contractually obligated to FOX. Joe Buck, a football personality, appeared on the program in Season 7. The original poster found where one could sign up to be an audience member, and the dates line up with Brady's absence.

In response came an avalanche of comments reacting to the theory. Here's how some of them went.

Warning: Content may contain NSFW language.

One fan said he would treat this as fact and tell his friends.

One Redditor questioned whether the world was ready for the next stage of Tom Brady's career, which would be in R&B.

Another fan demanded that the quarterback' be dressed in a "goat" costume:

One fan praised the Reddit for allowing people to learn about such a grand theory.

This Redditor mentioned that the quarterback's teammate, Rob Gronkowski, had already been on The Masked Singer.

This fan claimed the Buccaneers don't care what their No. 12 does or when he shows up.

This fan lauded the theory, pushing the post to get an ultra-rare award.

Another fan ruled out the theory, saying it would not take that long for Brady to film the program.

This fan predicted Brady's costume for the program.

This Redditor hopes the quarterback sings in a mask like his old mascot in New England.

A bizarre year for Tom Brady

Super Bowl LV

This year has been quite unorthodox for the quarterback. Since the start of the year, he has embraced retirement, appeared in rumors as part-owner of the Miami Dolphins, returned from retirement, signed up to become a commentator for FOX, and now, hypothetically, a contestant on The Masked Singer.

Following the loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Brady went into retirement for six weeks. During that time, he allegedly came close to becoming a part-owner of the Miami Dolphins but recoiled when Brian Flores filed his lawsuit. He returned to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but soon made clear his post-football plans.

It was announced that he had signed a deal for ten years with FOX to call games for the network following his retirement. Will that deal begin after the season, or does the quarterback have a few more years in the tank?