Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady returned from his brief sabbatical last week in preparation for the 2022-23 NFL season.
As part of his obligations, Brady briefly met with the media. When asked about why he temporarily stepped away from training camp this month, the consensus GOAT offered a fairly detached response.
I can’t recall this kind of Tom Brady at the podium. pic.twitter.com/SsPDoI8ClV
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) August 28, 2022
“It’s all personal,” he said.
“Everyone’s got different situations they’re dealing with. We all have really unique challenges to our life. I’m 45 years old, man. There’s a lot of [expletive] going on. Just gotta try to figure out life the best you can. It’s a continuous process.”
Brady’s comments notwithstanding, fans couldn’t help but notice that he looked a bit different.
Sports and culture journalist Jemele Hill was among the most prominent figures to point it out:
Sooooo … we gonna talk bout what’s going on with TB12’s face? https://t.co/uaPa2Ka4zt
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) August 28, 2022
The reactions to her observation poured in swiftly and with no filters:
Looks like he got a hold of Michael’s plastic surgeon. https://t.co/cy9VXVJc9i
— SaulyDeez (@Saulydeez) August 29, 2022
This is the trash media we don’t need anymore. If a man had made this comment about a womens face they would have crucified him. Who cares what his face looks like https://t.co/JEduOJSLxJ
— Salty Scott (@knee4marvelvsdc) August 29, 2022
Dude wtf is up with Brady? This cat looks weird af. Was he out during TC getting a face lift or something? https://t.co/viZg0pmFBo
— The Nature Boy Dick Hammer (@EssentialBusin7) August 29, 2022
I don’t get what people are commenting on. Sure his face looks a bit thinner and his hair looks goofy(prob from hat or helmet), but he’s 45 years old trying to play at a ridiculously high level and looks stressed AF. Just let the man play the game. Who cares how he looks. https://t.co/mMuG36JxY3
— CTJagsFan (@johnnysaz77) August 29, 2022
Dude is clearly going through some shit but hey, lets make comment on his appearance.
Weird, weird world. https://t.co/ChKKpsUhXn
— AJ (@AJPhillyEagle) August 29, 2022
Some fans then decided to take it one step further and do a deeper analysis into Brady’s changing facial structure. The before and after photos largely speak for themselves:
I’m sorry but you can’t convince me tom brady face changed this much off of just diet lmao pic.twitter.com/DtROGHMhIZ
— John (@iam_johnw) August 28, 2022
Make of that what you will.
This has been a wild few weeks for Brady. Between his decision to briefly step away from the Bucs and all the ominous details that have emerged about why he did it, it feels like it has been one issue after another.
That coupled with chatter about how “miserable” he has been looking at team practices hasn’t exactly painted a promising picture.
With the regular season on the horizon, it will be interesting to see what direction things go in.
That’s one way to cope with being on the Browns. https://t.co/EwteV5vnIb
— Game 7 (@game7__) August 28, 2022
If Brady gathers himself and leads the Buccaneers on a run, nobody will remember his offseason weirdness.
Should Tampa Bay falter, though – don’t be surprised if people start taking a closer look into what is wrong with Brady and how it is impacting him.
Related: Kyrie Irving Ordered Steve Nash Give His MVPs To Kobe Bryant?
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
