But Bowles said Brady pretty much picked up where he left off and insisted he “probably just assumed” the seven-time Super Bowl champion missed the opportunity. “He was great,” Bowles told reporters, according to Yahoo. “He was great, like when he left. It’s fine. We keep the distractions out of our dressing room a little bit. It wasn’t a big deal for us because everyone knew what was going on. “He’s a movie buff — I’m sure he’s seen tape of everything. So he’s coming back, picking up where he left off, just getting used to the mechanics again. “He’s very familiar with the offense, so coming back and getting back to work is normal. Just getting used to the heat and getting used to the guys, but he ran the offense well.” But Bucs tight end Cameron Brate said “it was definitely weird” practicing without his star quarterback. “Tom is such an omnipresent being, he’s like the undisputed leader of the group,” she said. “To not be there for 11 days, it was a good opportunity for other guys to fill that void. “It was different, Tom usually cussing guys up and down the field when we mess up, but we didn’t have that. Blaine [Gabbert] he did a good job running the first team offense while Tom was out. “I’m sure wherever Tom was, he was still working out and getting his reps. If anyone can get away with an 11-day break during training camp, it’s Tom. He’s back firing on all cylinders.” Linebacker Lavonte David added, “Obviously, his presence is unique. He’s Tom Brady, so when he’s not out there, you kind of know. But after the first couple of days or whatever went by, we just went back to our regular schedule, everybody they go out there to work.” It’s unclear why Brady, who initially announced his retirement in February only to later reverse his decision, took the excused absence, but Bowles said it was a plan that was in place before the start of preseason training camp. Dispelling rumors that he was on the hit TV show, “The Masked Singer,” last week, Brady tweeted one of his underwear commercials, saying, “He wasn’t on The Masked Singer last week. He wore a mask though.” Since joining the Bucs in 2020 from the New England Patriots, Brady has helped dramatically improve the team’s fortunes. A perennial underdog before his arrival, the Bucs won the Super Bowl in Brady’s first season at the helm, earning the legendary QB his seventh Super Bowl ring. The team fell short of expectations last season, but many are predicting a run to the Super Bowl title again this year, even with their mascot currently out of action. The Bucs open their regular season against the Dallas Cowboys on September 11th.
