Last Thursday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said Tom Brady was taking some planned time off and was scheduled to re-join the team after their preseason game against the Tennessee Titans on Saturday.  

A week later, Bowles admitted he didn't know exactly when the future Hall of Fame quarterback would return. 

"We'll see. We'll talk about it next week," Bowles said, via The Athletic. "I'm not concerned about it right now. We're trying to practice against Tennessee and play a game. I said sometime after Tennessee. There's no definitive date for me. We'll keep in touch and find out."

That update seemed to contrast what Bowles said a week ago, when he revealed Brady left training camp to "deal with some personal things" and implied everything was worked out. 

"This is something we talked about before training camp started," Bowles said last Thursday. "We allotted this time because [Brady] wanted to get in and get chemistry with the guys and go through two weeks of training camp."

Brady was not slated to play in Tampa Bay's first preseason game against Miami last weekend or the Titans matchup, so the absence isn't entirely shocking for a 45-year-old quarterback who has had plenty of practice reps over a pro career that began in 2000. 

However, Bowles' uncertainty as to when his first-choice QB will return is somewhat curious. 

Brady famously retired briefly this past offseason before announcing in mid-March that he would return for a third season with Tampa Bay and 23rd in the NFL after leading the league with a career-high 5,316 passing yards in 2021, while also ranking first in passing touchdowns with 43.  

He led the Buccaneers to a 13-4 regular-season record and NFC South crown last year, but their season ended with a 27-20 loss to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs. 

Tampa Bay begins this season at Dallas on September 11, and Bowles said last week Brady's absence would not affect the seven-time Super Bowl champion's availability for the opener. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles announced Thursday that quarterback Tom Brady has temporarily left training camp to "deal with some personal things" and is expected to return following the team’s second preseason game on August 20th.

Bowles told reporters Brady's absence was planned prior to training camp and will not affect the seven-time Super Bowl champion's availability for Tampa Bay's season opener at Dallas on September 11th.

"This is something we talked about before training camp started," Bowles said. "We allotted this time because [Brady] wanted to get in and get chemistry with the guys and go through two weeks of training camp."

Brady, who turned 45 last week, is entering his 23rd NFL season after re-signing with the Buccaneers in March following a 40-day retirement after the 2021 campaign.

The legendary quarterback was not slated to play in Saturday's preseason opener against Miami or the Bucs' game at Tennessee the following week. Veteran Blaine Gabbert and 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask are expected to receive the majority of practice reps during Brady’s absence. 

"Knowing he wasn’t going to play the first two games, he didn't want to take away reps from Blaine and Kyle, as well as [Ryan Griffin], as far as going into these next two games," Bowles said. 

Bowles added that he wasn’t concerned about the missed practice time impacting Brady's preparation for the regular season, or any effects his departure may have on Tampa Bay's offence.

"Obviously, there's always going to be doubt, but I have a pretty high level of confidence, yes," he stated. 

Tom Brady's return made complete sense to Tampa Bay Buccaneers team-mate Scotty Miller, who was stunned the legendary quarterback briefly retired in the first place.

That Brady's decision to quit ahead of his 45th birthday could have come as a surprise to anyone says a great deal for his enduring quality.

Indeed, Brady, who finished the 2020 season celebrating his seventh Super Bowl success, was still setting career highs in 2021.

In no previous season had the veteran thrown (719) or completed (485) more passes for more yards (5,316) – albeit with an extra game on the slate.

Only in his 50-touchdown season of 2011 had Brady completed a greater share of his passes (67.5 per cent) or tossed more TDs (43). Brady only has three 40-touchdown seasons, with the other his first year in Tampa in 2020.

Three of his TD passes in that time have picked out wide receiver Miller, as did a 39-yard throw for a score in the NFC Championship Game in January 2021.

Injury has subsequently hindered Miller's young career, but he is delighted to get the opportunity to again link up with a quarterback who had a transformative impact after joining the Bucs at the end of the wideout's rookie season.

"[Brady's return] was awesome," Miller said. "I have so much appreciation for Tom, as we all do, and just what he has done for my career and helping me become a better player – just watching him work and how he goes about his business each and every day...

"I wasn't really expecting him to retire in the first place; that kind of shocked me, just because I know he had so much left in the tank, and he was playing at such a high level.

"And I know how competitive he is, and it would be tough for him to walk away when he's playing that well.

"When he came back, I was just super excited, super stoked to play alongside him again."

Tom Brady's return made complete sense to Tampa Bay Buccaneers team-mate Scotty Miller, who was stunned the legendary quarterback briefly retired in the first place.

That Brady's decision to quit ahead of his 45th birthday could have come as a surprise to anyone says a great deal for his enduring quality.

Indeed, Brady, who finished the 2020 season celebrating his seventh Super Bowl success, was still setting career highs in 2021.

In no previous season had the veteran thrown (719) or completed (485) more passes for more yards (5,316) – albeit with an extra game on the slate.

Only in his 50-touchdown season of 2011 had Brady completed a greater share of his passes (67.5 per cent) or tossed more TDs (43). Brady only has three 40-touchdown seasons, with the other his first year in Tampa in 2020.

Three of his TD passes in that time have picked out wide receiver Miller, as did a 39-yard throw for a score in the NFC Championship Game in January 2021.

Injury has subsequently hindered Miller's young career, but he is delighted to get the opportunity to again link up with a quarterback who had a transformative impact after joining the Bucs at the end of the wideout's rookie season.

"[Brady's return] was awesome," Miller said. "I have so much appreciation for Tom, as we all do, and just what he has done for my career and helping me become a better player – just watching him work and how he goes about his business each and every day...

"I wasn't really expecting him to retire in the first place; that kind of shocked me, just because I know he had so much left in the tank, and he was playing at such a high level.

"And I know how competitive he is, and it would be tough for him to walk away when he's playing that well.

"When he came back, I was just super excited, super stoked to play alongside him again."

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers reportedly expect Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen to be out for the upcoming season, with head coach Todd Bowles confirming he will miss "significant time".

Jensen, Tampa Bay's starting center since 2018, was carted off after suffering a left knee injury during Thursday's training camp practice.

Bowles told reporters on Friday the team were still awaiting test results on Jensen's knee, but a lengthy absence is anticipated for Tom Brady's protector.

"We don't know the severity of it per se, but I do know he'll miss some significant time, up to a couple of months," Bowles said.

"Whether he'll be back later in the season, November or December, that depends on what they find. He won't be available anytime soon."

Jensen's extended absence adds another question mark to an interior offensive line that was already an area of concern for Tampa Bay entering camp due to the departures of 2021 starting guards Ali Marpet and Alex Cappa.

Marpet retired in February, and Cappa signed with the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals in the offseason, although the Bucs did trade for Shaq Mason from the New England Patriots to take over at right guard.

Jensen has not missed a game since signing with Tampa Bay in 2018 following a four-year stint with the Baltimore Ravens, and he was named to his first career Pro Bowl last season.

The 31-year-old re-signed with the Bucs in March on a three-year, $39million contract that includes $23m in guarantees.

The Buccaneers currently do not have any other players with starting experience at center. Robert Hainsey, a 2021 third-round pick who saw just 31 offensive snaps as a rookie, took over the position following Jensen's injury. 

Tom Brady's position at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is an advantage for recruitment, so says general manager Jason Licht.

The veteran quarterback will go around once more this term with the Bucs, after initially announcing his retirement before reversing his decision 40 days later.

And Brady is now helping Licht shape the roster for the upcoming 2022 NFL season, as new head coach Todd Bowles looks to take them to a second Super Bowl in three years following last season's divisional playoff exit.

Speaking ahead of the Bucs' preseason bow against the Miami Dolphins, Licht explained how having Brady on board makes their recruitment business easier, pointing to their acquisition of wide receiver Julio Jones as an example of their similar mindsets.

"I think any GM with an established veteran quarterback has an advantage, but when you have Tom Brady as the greatest, it's even more of an advantage," Licht said in a news conference.

"The entire locker room has the utmost respect for him. If I'm thinking about a player or we are as a staff, I'll give him a call and see if he can help us out and he's always willing to do it.

"We’re usually on the same page with that. We didn't have to kick too many weeds to find out about Julio Jones. We've known about him a while, and Kyle Rudolph was the best tight end that was available.

"But, we're usually on the same page. We have a lot of communication, so does Todd [Bowles] and Tom [Brady] and myself. We talk a lot about players."

Jones is one of the Bucs' key offseason recruits, with the 33-year-old signing on Wednesday after his release from the Tennessee Titans earlier this year, and Brady helped swing the deal.

"It's a scenario we had talked about for a while," Licht added. "I talked periodically to his agent and I know that Tom and Julio had talked.

"It just kind of came to fruition here these last couple of days. We're really excited to have him [and] I know he's super excited to be here. What a mature guy, tough guy, competitive guy, he's just excited to have the chance to win a championship."

Bowles is starting to put the pieces together as he prepares for his first season at the helm following Bruce Arians' departure, though the latter's presence as a consultant has remained invaluable to the team.

"It's great to have him," Licht said of Arians. "He and I obviously have a great relationship. I lean on him for a lot of things. I know Todd does as well and all of our coaches. He's just great to have around."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen will undergo an MRI after injuring his left knee during practice.

In a concerning development for an offensive line that already has some question marks along the interior, Jensen was injured during a team drill during Tampa Bay's second day of training camp.

The normally durable eight-year veteran was carted off while unable to bear weight on his lower left leg and was replaced by second-year player Robert Hainsey.

"We'll wait to find out what it is and we're hoping for the best," Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht told reporters while adding that testing results may not be known for a few days.

Jensen has not missed a game since signing with Tampa Bay in 2018 following a four-year stint with the Baltimore Ravens and was named to his first career Pro Bowl last season.

The 31-year-old re-signed with the Bucs in March on a three-year, $39million contract that includes $23m in guarantees.

Licht acknowledged that Jensen's injury had dented the positive tone at a camp that began with great optimism. That positive mood had been further enhanced by this week's signing of seven-time Pro Bowl receiver Julio Jones as well as tight end Kyle Rudolph.

"That usually happens when you have a player like Ryan who is obviously a very good player, but also just a great person and a leader, and his toughness, things like that, about him that define him," Licht stated.

"When a player like that gets hurt and he's played through several injuries in his career, without missing any time, it deflates everybody."

The Buccaneers are already breaking in new starters at both guard spots following the offseason retirement of Ali Marpet and the departure of Alex Cappa, who signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as a free agent.

Licht was able to fill Cappa's right guard spot by acquiring Shaq Mason in a trade with the New England Patriots. Hainsey, a third-round pick in 2021, was competing with veteran Aaron Stinnie and rookie second-round pick Luke Goedeke for the starting job at left guard.

Five-time All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones will catch passes from Tom Brady in 2022 after signing a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday.

The move gives Brady, who led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns last season, another potentially dangerous target and may offset the loss of tight end Rob Gronkowski, who retired earlier this offseason.

A seven-time Pro Bowl selection, Jones will join a deep wide receiver room that already has Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage.

Signing Jones is the latest in a string of win-now moves by the Buccaneers as they try to extend their window of championship contention with Brady, who turns 45 years old next month.

Jones, 33, has been limited by injuries over the last two seasons, having ended a 10-year stint with the Atlanta Falcons to join the Tennessee Titans last season.

In 10 games with the Titans, Jones caught a career-low 31 passes for 434 yards and was cut earlier this offseason.

Jones had been connected to the Indianapolis Colts, a move that would have reunited him with longtime quarterback Matt Ryan, but Colts general manager Chris Ballard dispelled those rumours earlier on Tuesday, the Indianapolis Star reported.

Jones is the NFL's active leader with 13,330 career receiving yards, making 879 catches and scoring 61 touchdowns in 145 games.

Among players who have played at least 100 games, Jones' 91.9 receiving yards per game are the most in NFL history.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have appeared to have found their replacement for the retired Rob Gronkowski, signing tight end Kyle Rudolph to a one-year contract on Monday.

The deal is reportedly worth $2million and Rudolph can earn an additional $1.5million in incentives.

Gronkowski retired for the second time in his career last month despite having the chance to play another season with Tom Brady, who announced his retirement on Feb. 1 before changing his mind March 13 and returning to Tampa Bay.

In Rudolph, the Buccaneers land a tight end who had 26 catches for 257 yards and one touchdown last season for the New York Giants.

That was Rudolph’s only year with New York after spending his first 10 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, who selected him with the 11th pick of the second round (43rd overall) in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Rudolph earned two Pro Bowl selections while playing for Minnesota, including being named the MVP of the game in 2012 after having five catches for 122 yards and a touchdown.

Rudolph has appeared in 156 regular-season games, hauling in 479 passes for 4,745 yards and 49 TDs.

Tom Brady will not commit to playing beyond 2022, though said it is not a certainty that the upcoming NFL season will be his last.

Brady, who retired after last season but swiftly changed his mind, will turn 45 in August, and in May he acknowledged he is near the end of one of the most accomplished careers of any athlete.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback also said he believes he's still got something left, however, as he approaches his 23rd training camp and third with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"My body feels really good," Brady told Variety. "I've had a lot of traumatic injuries over the years, but if things go really smoothly and we win, that'd be great."

Brady also touched on his decision to temporarily announce his retirement in February, as well as his rationale for reversing course and returning to the Buccaneers.

"I made the decision in the moment, and I felt it was the right thing for the team to let the Bucs know," he said.

"You need time to plan. And then through conversations with Bruce [Arians], [general manager] Jason [Licht] and my wife, I felt like I could still play and compete.

"I would have preferred to un-retire in July if I wanted to play, but I couldn't. If I said I'm not playing, they'd make plans. So, I felt there was a lot of pressure to make a decision quickly. And then ultimately, I just decided, 'yes, let's do it.' Once I said that, it was like – 'OK, here we go'."

Shortly after Brady declared his intention to come back for another season, Fox Sports announced it had signed the future Hall of Famer to a 10-year, $375million contract to serve as the network's lead analyst for its NFL Game of the Week broadcasts once he does retire for good,

Whether that will be after the 2022 season, Brady said nothing is yet set in stone.

"Could this be my last year? Absolutely," he said. "Could I change my mind? Absolutely. I've realised I don't have five years left.

"I want to do it my way. I want to give it everything I got and see where I'm at."

Brady did acknowledge that winning another Super Bowl would make it easier to call it quits after this season, while also admitting that the Buccaneers' playoff loss to the eventual 2021 champion Los Angeles Rams influenced his choice to come back.

"I think that would obviously be the greatest way to end," he said. "I just have a competitive fire that got the best of me."

Rob Gronkowski is retiring from the NFL – again. 

After coming out of his 2019 retirement to spend the last two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – with whom he won the Super Bowl in the 2020 campaign – the future Hall of Fame tight end took to Instagram on Tuesday to reveal he is once again calling it a career. 

"I want to thank the whole entire first-class Buccaneers organisation for an amazing ride, trusting me to come back to play and help build a championship team," he wrote. "I will now be going back into my retirement home, walking away from football again with my head held high knowing I gave it everything I had, good or bad, every time I stepped out on the field."

A four-time Super Bowl champion who won his first three titles during nine seasons with the New England Patriots, four-time first-team All-Pro Gronkowski entered this offseason as a free agent but implied if he was going to continue to play it would be with Tom Brady. 

When Brady announced in mid-March he would play again for the Buccaneers in 2022 after briefly retiring, many expected Gronkowski would also return seeing as Brady had already lured Gronk out of retirement once. 

The oft-injured 33-year-old, however, decided it was time to step away. 

"The friendships and relationships I have made will last forever, and I appreciate every single one of my team-mates and coaches for giving everything they had as well," he wrote. "From retirement, back to football and winning another championship and now back to chilling out, thank you to all."

Gronkowski retires as one of the most decorated and dangerous players at his position in NFL history. With soft hands coupled with the power to plow over would-be tacklers, Gronkowski ranks third among all tight ends with 92 career touchdown receptions, while his 9,286 receiving yards rank fifth. 

As one of Brady's most reliable and trusted targets across their time together in New England and Tampa, Gronkowski amassed 15 receiving touchdowns in the playoffs – trailing only Hall of Famer Jerry Rice's 22 for the most in NFL history. 

Free agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh admits his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is all but over. 

Continuing his NFL career with the Las Vegas Raiders, however, "could be fun." 

Appearing on ESPN’s 'NFL Live', Suh acknowledged that signing another one-year contract to stay with Tampa Bay is unlikely to happen. 

"[I'm] excited to really just understand where I can potentially be," he said. 

"It looks like the Bucs are out of the picture, but excited to look at the other options." 

Suh spent the past three seasons with the Buccaneers on three one-year deals, and helped the franchise win the Super Bowl during the 2020 season. 

The writing was on the wall that a return to Tampa was unlikely, however, after the Bucs signed defensive tackle Akiem Hicks on May 31. 

During Monday's broadcast, Suh was asked about potentially joining the Raiders, and the five-time Pro Bowler did not hesitate to say he was interested. 

"I like it to be honest with you," he said. "Chandler Jones and Maxx Crosby, I was exchanging messages with them the other day. 

"It's an interesting opportunity for sure. We'll see where it kind of ends up.

"But that AFC West is very, very tough - which would be fun. You get out of that, you're almost destined to get to the Super Bowl."

Suh doubled down on those comments a day later, tweeting out Tuesday morning, "Raiders could be fun."

Despite being 35 years old, Suh, who has only missed two games in his entire 12-year career, believes he still has plenty to offer between his contributions on the field as well as being a veteran presence in the locker room. 

In 17 games last season, he amassed six sacks, seven tackles for loss and 13 quarterback hurries. His 70.5 career sacks ranks 10th among active players. 

"I think I have a lot of great talent in my engine," he said, "and people have felt that before."

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said he would still be leading the team if Tom Brady did not decide to come out of retirement.

Not long after Tampa Bay’s playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Brady retired and the Buccaneers were left without a proven quarterback on their roster.

Less than six weeks later, the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback opted to return and two weeks later, Arians announced that he would be stepping down as head coach and moving into a role in the Bucs' front office, with Todd Bowles becoming the new head coach.

The new Senior Football Consultant explained he was unwilling to leave Bowles with uncertainty at the quarterback position, with Blaine Gabbert and Kyle Trask on the roster.

"I was going the other way. I was thinking he wasn’t going to play," Arians said. "I was thinking about who are we going to get? Who wants to trade? There wasn’t anybody in the draft.

"That was obvious. Me, to the public, I was fine with the two we had: Blaine and Kyle. Because I’ve seen Blaine win with a good team behind him. Had Tom not come back, I probably would still be coaching. I couldn’t give Todd that situation.”

Because of the timing, rumours circulated that a rift existed between Brady and Arians, but Arians stuck to his line that he had already been thinking about quitting and did not want to leave Bowles with an unsettled quarterback situation.

Arians, who turns 70 in October, also said that he was “upset” with the hiring cycle and expected both Bowles and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich to get head coaching jobs. He also admitted that the upcoming season would have been his last anyway.

“I had a bunch of people lined up to take their jobs,” Arians said. “When they were both here and Tom came back, I thought it was the perfect time.”

Less than three weeks after Tom Brady announced he was unretiring and returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in mid-March, coach Bruce Arians decided to retire.

Despite the timing of Arians' decision to step away, Brady denies having any problems with his former boss.

"Zero whatsoever," Brady said of Arians on Thursday. "He and I have a great relationship. Part of the reason I chose here was because of Bruce.

"I have great respect for him. He knows how I feel about him – that's the most important thing. And I know how he feels about me."

Brady and Arians won the Super Bowl in their first season together with Tampa Bay in 2020.

Shortly after the 69-year-old coach announced his decision to retire on March 30, future Hall of Fame quarterback Brady took to Instagram to say Arians was a major reason he decided to join the Bucs and that he'll be "forever grateful".

Todd Bowles is taking over from Arians as Brady is returning for his third season with Tampa Bay and 23rd in pro football after leading the league with a career-high 5,316 passing yards in 2021, while also ranking first in passing touchdowns with 43.

The soon-to-be 45-year-old led the Buccaneers to a 13-4 regular-season record and NFC South crown last year, but their season ended with a 27-20 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Brady's long-time companion, Rob Gronkowski, was targeted 11 times in the loss to the Rams, but it's uncertain if he'll be suiting up again this season.

Though many expected Gronkowski to announce he would return after Brady unretired, the 33-year-old tight end has not revealed any decision, and Brady, who has already lured Gronkowski out of retirement once, said he is unaware of his plans.

"I think it's just obviously totally up to him," Brady said. "We'd all love to play with him, but he's got to make the best decision for himself, and he knows that.

"Anyone who cares about him knows that he's doing what's right for him, which is trying to figure it out. We don't have training camp for about six weeks, so whatever he's got to do to figure it out.

"We'll be hopeful if he does, and if he doesn't, then we still gotta go out there and figure out what to do."

The oft-injured Gronkowski is a free agent so does not have to return to the Bucs, though he has implied that if he does play, it will be with Brady.

Brady was reportedly courted by the Miami Dolphins in the last few months while still under contract with Tampa Bay, and he did not refute the rumours that they wanted him as their quarterback or in a front office role.

"I had a lot of conversations with a lot of people," Brady said. "I've had for the last three or four years of my career about different opportunities when I'm done playing football so, I kind of made a decision of what I'd like to do, and I'll get to be in the game of football.

"I think for me, the most important thing is where I'm at now and what I hope to do for this team. That's been my commitment to this team and this organisation.

"It's been so much fun for me to come here two years ago. It's been almost two and a half now and it's been an incredible part of my football journey. And it's not over."

Tom Brady admitted he felt some pressure to end his brief retirement from the NFL and return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the time he did due to the start of free agency.

Speaking during a roundtable discussion on TNT on Wednesday, Brady implied he did not want the new league year to begin and the Buccaneers to make free agency decisions based on the assumption that the future Hall of Fame quarterback was retired and not coming back.

Brady's retirement lasted 40 days before he announced he would return on March 13 – three days before the start of free agency.

"At this stage, it's like 55 per cent yes and 45 per cent no. It's not 100-0. That's just the reality," Brady said. "It's not that I'm not 100 per cent committed, it's just as soon as I make the commitment to do it, it's like 'Ugh. All right, here we go.'

"It's like running a marathon. You can't decide two weeks before the marathon, 'Hey, I'm going to start running.' We got right to free agency and I felt some pressure to do it and talked to the team and organisation and it all worked out."

In speaking publicly for the first time since ending his retirement, Brady was asked if he had been ready to retire.

"Partly, you know, yes," the seven-time Super Bowl champion said. "And I think when you're their (Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen's) age, if you were to ask me 'Are you going to play football next year?' I would say there's a 100 per cent chance I'm playing. And I think as I've gotten older, that's changed because I have other responsibilities."

Brady is returning for his third season with Tampa Bay and 23rd in pro football after leading the league with a career-high 5,316 passing yards in 2021, while also ranking first in passing touchdowns with 43.

The soon-to-be 45-year-old led the Buccaneers to a 13-4 regular-season record and NFC South crown last year, but their season ended with a 27-20 loss to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs.