Tom Brady Left Bucs Camp for the Masked Singer?

When Todd Bowles told reporters Tom Brady was excused from Training Camp due to "personal reasons" it cause Bucs fans to scratch their heads, but no real concern. Then Bowles told reporters on August 18th that there was no firm return date, and the team would talk with Tom after the August 20th preseason game. This turned the NFL on its head. Wild accusations about marital issues, love of the game, and not thinking this team was good enough to compete. None of those sound like a reason Tom Brady would leave football for good this time. However wild the theories have been, nothing has made sense... until now. Tom Brady left Bucs camp for The Masked Singer!

A theory on Reddit has emerged that Tom Brady is not footballing because he is singing. And on The Masked Singer specifically. Before you dismiss this as hearsay, hear me out. Brady signed a contract with FOX while retired that will see him in the booth as soon as he wants. The Masked Singer is on FOX. This would also make sense as FOX would love the opportunity to cross promote their NFL coverage with one of their highest viewed programs. The dates also line up with what we were told by Bowles at the beginning of the hiatus.

This sound a bit like the guy in his mom's basement with the tin foil hat theory. But it is an explanation as to why a guy who couldn't stay away from the game for more than 40 days during his retirement would leave in the middle of Training Camp. Add on that he really doesn't need preseason reps, and 1+1+1 is starting to look like 3.  It is worth looking into if Tom Brady left Bucs camp for The Masked Singer.

Tom Brady will continue to make millions every year after he retires. He and FOX signed a massive contract this offseason that will put Brady in the booth as soon as he hangs up the helmet. The Masked Singer is a FOX production, and they would love the idea of cross promotion. In fact, they've done it before. Joe Buck, when he was with FOX, made an appearance just last March. FOX execs would be over the moon to promote their NFL coverage to one of their largest week night audiences.

When the Brady hiatus was announced, it was strange that Todd Bowles put a specific date on when Brady would return. If it was a true family issue then why on earth would the team put a 10 day cap on Brady's absence? And why would the Bucs go back on that original return date of after the Titans preseason game? There have been no reports of a medical emergency in the family, or any real reports of where Brady is right now. If he were on vacation in Cabo or something like that he would for sure have been photographed and leaked to TMZ .

Remember the Bucs saying they would talk with Tom after the August 20th date? Well guess when the first recording of the upcoming season of The Masked Singer is? August 20th. The Bucs need to talk with Tom after the 20th because they'll want to know if Tom advanced to the next round of the show. The same Reddit user found that there were 3 filming dates for the upcoming season of The Masked Singer; July 24-29 (The Bucs reported on July 27th), August 2-9 (Brady's departure announced on August 10th), and August 12-20th, all of which Tom would be available for filming with the Bucs being okay with him leaving.

I do not watch The Masked Singer. However I do know that not every contestant appears on every episode. It is feasible to think the first 2 filming dates were for the first two groups of 5 singers, then Brady was placed in the final group. The winner from each of the 3 "pods" square off to be crowned the champion. This is why Tampa is non committal on when Brady will return to the team. If Brady sings like he throws, he will need to be available for the finale of the show. The Bucs cannot say he is for sure coming back on the 21st because if he advances, he'll need to stay in Hollywood for the filming of the finale.