Tom Brady takes a leave of absence from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for "personal matters"

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2:15

(CNN) —

Tom Brady is taking time off from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to "tend to personal matters," team head coach Todd Bowles said.

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Brady, 45, was not present at practice Thursday.

In that sense, Bowles told reporters that the quarterback will return only after the team's second preseason game on August 20.

Tom Brady throws a pass during Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp.

(Credit: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire)

"Tom has excused himself today," Bowles noted.

"He's coming back sometime after Tennessee. He's going to attend to some personal stuff," he continued.

"This is something we talked about before training camp started. We determined this time because he wanted to be around and have chemistry with the guys and get through two weeks of training camp. Knowing he wasn't going to play the first two games I didn't want to take reps from Blaine (Gabbert) and Kyle (Trask), as well as (Ryan Griffin), as far as the next two games."

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Bowles didn't elaborate on the reason for Brady's absence, but said it was something that had been planned since before training camp began.

He also stated that he was confident Brady would return for the team's Week 1 season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

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"Obviously, there will always be questions," Bowles said.

"But I have a pretty high confidence level, yes."

Brady talks with coach Clyde Christensen.

Bucs player Devin White said Brady had the full support and understanding of his team.

"He's a grown man, (more grown up) than most of us, and he's ultimately a human being," White said.

"He has personal problems. But he is a guy who has been doing this for so long that he (doesn't) need to be here," he completed.

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"If he's not here, we know he's still working. He's got a great support team around him and he'll do his job whether he's here or not. So when he comes back, he'll never miss a beat and that's the only important thing. .. But more than football, we are praying for whatever he is going through as a human being and we hope that everyone else is too. And that is all we ask for him: his well-being. Football comes second , what is human comes first," he added.

Since joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 after playing for the New England Patriots, Brady has dramatically helped the team's success.

Brady during Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp.

With multiple failures before his arrival, the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl in Brady's first season in charge.

For him it was his seventh championship.

The team fell short of expectations last season and lost to the team that would win the Super Bowl, the Los Angeles Rams, in the playoffs.

Despite being the oldest quarterback in the league, predictions for the Buccaneers are sky high again this season.

Tom Brady