Many were worried when Tom Brady took an extended absence from Buccaneers training camp. Bruce Arians was not one of them.
The former coach turned team consultant acknowledged in an interview with USA TODAY Sports' Jori Epstein that he had never before seen a player take 11 days off from camp during his decades-long coaching career.
However, he explained that Brady's circumstances are unique.
"It’s a matter of when you’re 45 and you have way, way more things in your life going on than a 25-year-old does," Arians explained. "Tom needed the time."
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The reason for Brady's absence has still yet to be explained. Theories have run from him vacationing with his family in the Bahamas to taping an appearance on "The Masked Singer."
Either way, his nonattendance at camp also drew concern that he may be considering retiring once again. He had initially called it quits in February only to unretire ahead of free agency in March.
But Brady remained committed to playing in 2022. He just needed to miss part of training camp, which Arians actually believes was "a really good move for everybody."
Why did Arians feel this way?
"It was great for us because we got to work with our backup quarterbacks, especially (quarterback) Kyle Trask for all that time getting valuable reps," he said.
Tom didn’t need the reps. He came back, looks great as ever. Energy in the building shot back up 100 percent.
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That energy is part of the reason that Arians isn't at all worried about Brady heading into the 2022 NFL season. He believes that the 45-year-old is ready to give the same, high-end effort that he always has as he prepares for his 23rd NFL season.
"You can ask the players in the huddle who get their butt chewed out by him," Arians said when asked about Brady's commitment level in 2022. "They all know he’s laser-focused and ready to roll. So I would say to anyone: Don’t worry about Tom Brady.
"One thing about Tom Brady is you never have to worry about focus. He’s all in, or he wouldn’t be there."
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