TAMPA, Fla. — Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady will be out for a period of time to “address some personal things,” coach Todd Bowles said Thursday.
Bowles said Brady’s absence was discussed in advance and he will return after next week’s preseason game against the Tennessee Titans on Aug. 20.
“That’s something we talked about before training camp started,” Bowles said. “We allocated that time because I wanted to come in and get some chemistry with the guys and go through two weeks of training camp, knowing he wasn’t going to play the first two games. I didn’t want to take reps out of Blaine. [Gabbert] and Kyle [Trask]as well as ‘Griff’ [Ryan Griffin] going into these next two games knowing it’s something he has to manage.”
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Asked if the issue was health-related, Bowles said, “It’s a personal issue. That’s all I can tell you.”
Bowles said he has a “pretty high level of confidence” that Brady will be the Bucs’ starting quarterback in Week 1 at the Dallas Cowboys.
Bowles had previously announced that Brady would not play in Saturday’s preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins.
Brady had excused absences last Wednesday, his previously scheduled day off and also his 45th birthday, and last Friday. The Buccaneers as a team had an off day last Thursday.
Bowles said he wasn’t concerned about the missed time, largely because of Brady’s experience and work ethic. He doesn’t think he disrupts the offense’s progression, though Brady has worked to gain chemistry with new pieces like wide receivers Julio Jones and Russell Gage and tight end Kyle Rudolph.
Asked if he was concerned that Brady’s personal issue would affect his commitment to the team, Bowles said: “From our conversation, I’m not concerned, no.”