Report: Tom Brady To Skip Voluntary Workouts Again

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady missed a huge portion of the team’s voluntary workouts last season, and it seems like he is ready to do the same thing this year.

ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported that Brady is expected to “follow a similar routine as last year” and spend more time with his loved ones. The voluntary workouts will begin on April 15.

Brady and Rob Gronkowski decided to stay away from the field last offseason, and returned only when their presence was mandatory. Some say there was a disagreement between the players and head coach Bill Belichick over training and conditioning. But, the team won the Super Bowl, and everything makes a perfect sense.

“It’s obviously important for everybody,” Brady said of OTAs last season. “The coaches do a great job of getting us ready. It was just some personal reasons for me (that kept him out). But I’m here now and I’m focused on what I need to do, as I always am, and I’m looking forward to this year.”

“I’ve never talked about my contract,” the quarterback said when asked about the reasons he had to miss the workoug. “I’ve never brought up money for a lot of reasons that I’ve said over the years. Those things are very personal.”

Brady likes where he is, and he is happy with his team.

“It’s great and we’ve always had a great relationship,” he said. “I’ve been here for a long time and I love this team and I love this organization and I love playing quarterback for them. I loved it last year and I’m having fun now, so that’s obviously what’s most important.”

It seems like the organization supports his decision to miss the voluntary workouts.

“These are voluntary workouts… I think he’s in great shape,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said. “I think he’s at an age where he’s blessed to have three children, has responsibilities. It’s hard to fulfill those during the season.”

Brady’s dad, Tom Brady Sr., supports his son’s decision to spend more time with his family.

“I think he’s very happy where he’s at. And I think it shows,” Tom Sr. said. “I’ve never seen him more delighted than he was than at the end of postgame last week. I just think right now he’s very, very content in his life of football. He was able to spend that time in the offseason, which was very special. You need that. You need a little more rejuvenation than what you need when you’re younger.”