NFL insider debunks wild theory that Tom Brady is skipping Buccaneers practice to film "Masked Singer"

The NFL world has been abuzz since Tom Brady began taking some time off from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp. The only given reason was that Brady was dealing with personal matters, which led to rampant speculation. Many suspected his mother's health was an issue. Meanwhile, others wondered if his relationship with his wife Gisele Bundchen was the cause of his absence.

One of the wilder theories was that the quarterback was absent from training camp and preseason activities because he was filming "The Masked Singer."

Brady wouldn't be the first athlete to appear on the show. Terry Bradshaw, Chloe Kim, Tony Hawk, and former teammates Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown (among many others) have done the same.

However, one NFL insider says that the wild theory is just that -- a theory. According to Benjamin Allbright, Brady is not missing training camp for a television show.

His absence remains murky, but it's not that he's eschewing team responsibilities to try and win a singing contest.

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Does Brady's absence from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers matter all that much?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Training Camp

Even at the age of 45, which the legendary quarterback just turned in August, Brady is still playing at an incredibly high level. He threw for over 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns last season.

He's also the most accomplished football player ever, and one of the most accomplished athletes of all time. He's pretty much earned the right to do whatever he pleases. That includes taking time off of preseason activities for personal reasons.

Preseason is an important part of the season, though. Many quarterbacks who sign on late into the offseason (see Cam Newton, 2020) struggle to adapt and learn the playbook on the fly.

They also lose valuable time building chemistry with their wideouts and pass catchers.

However, is that really an issue for Brady? The Buccaneers quarterback has played with his top two pass catchers for the last two seasons.

He's also pretty familiar with the offense after running it for two years. For those reasons, it's probably not a big deal.

However, Tampa Bay did add Julio Jones and Kyle Rudolph, with whom he hasn't played before. Bruce Arians is also not in town anymore, and he was a big part of the offense.

Miami Dolphins v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Time will tell if this absence hurts Brady and his offense, but for a veteran like him, it's unlikely to cause much harm.