Report: Tom Brady will take weekly personal days in unique setup originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Tom Brady has earned a little leeway over his 23-year NFL career, and he plans on using it this season.
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback will take every Wednesday off as a "rest day" during the regular season, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday morning. While Brady has taken occasional mid-week personal days in years past -- often on Thursdays -- this is the first time in his career that he'll have a scheduled day off every week.
Brady's unprecedented setup follows the quarterback's similarly-unprecedented 11-day hiatus from the Bucs during the preseason to attend to "personal" matters. Brady reportedly spent that time with his family amid rumors that he and his wife, Gisele Bundchen, were having marital trouble after his decision to unretire and play a 23rd season.
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Brady recently spoke about the challenge of balancing football and family at his age -- he has two children with Gisele and a third child from his previous relationship with actress Bridget Moynihan -- so his weekly off-days may help him spend some extra family time during the grind of the NFL season.
As for how Brady's off-days will affect him on the field, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles doesn't seem very concerned.
"I think when you play in the league a certain amount of time and you prepare a certain way, it's not necessary to practice that guy all the time," Bowles told reporters Friday. "You're going to practice, but you're not going to practice all the time. You'll get a day off here and there because it is a long season."
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Tampa Bay handled the Dallas Cowboys 19-3 in its season opener after Brady took last Wednesday off. But the team faces a much tougher test this Sunday in the New Orleans Saints, whom Brady is 0-4 against in the regular season since joining the Bucs.
