Tom Brady isn't concerned about what his recent 11-day absence from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will mean for his play on the field this season.

Brady played in the Buccaneers' preseason finale Saturday, going 6-for-8 with 44 yards in his only series.

"Everyone has different situations they're dealing with and we all have unique challenges to our lives," he said. "I'm 45-years old, man. There's a lot of shit going on, so you just have to try and figure out life the best you can. You know, it's a continuous process."

Brady was reportedly on vacation in the Bahamas with his family. The quarterback hasn't confirmed or denied the report.

"I feel good. I've played football for a long time. I'm pretty good at it," Brady said. "Doesn't take me long for me to remember how to play it."

Tom Brady is expected to play in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' third and final preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Todd Bowles did not say it outright, but when asked if Brady will play, he responded, "Everyone who is healthy will play."

Brady, who returned this week from an 11-day absence to tend to "personal issues," is healthy and practiced in full Thursday.

When healthy, Brady has participated in at least one preseason game every year since he was drafted in 2000.

Tom Brady returned to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday after an 11-day hiatus for personal reasons.

There was speculation that Brady might have been filming a "Masked Singer" episode, but reports claim that wasn't the case.

A report from Pro Football Network states that Brady was spending time with his family in the Bahamas at an exclusive resort.

The report also notes that there was no medical emergency that sparked the quarterback's absence.

Tom Brady returned to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday, ending an 11-day absence from training camp for personal reasons.

Brady didn't address the media after practicing, but Todd Bowles said the quarterback was sharp throwing the football and essentially picked up where he left off when he left the team on Aug. 11.

"If anybody can get away with the 11-day break during training camp, it's Tom," Cameron Brate said. "He came back, kind of firing on all cylinders again. We're all excited he's back and ready to move on."

Bowles said the break had been planned since well before the start of training camp last month.

Tom Brady is expected to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week following an absence in which he has attended to "personal things."

Todd Bowles said a decision has not yet been made on whether Brady will see action in this week's third and final preseason game at the Indianapolis Colts.

"Not yet. We'll see how practice goes and we'll make those decisions at the end of the week," Bowles said.

In addition to his current absence, Brady has missed four days of camp in late July and early August. He has been given off days in the past, but this is the first time in 23 years he has taken a significant amount of time away from the team during training camp or the preseason. 

Todd Bowles was noncommittal Thursday when asked by reporters about a return date for Tom Brady, who has been away from the team since August 11 to tend to what has been described as "personal things."

When Bowles revealed that Brady would be stepping away, he said the quarterback would be back after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' second preseason game at the Tennessee Titans Saturday night.

However, a clear return date was never mentioned and Thursday Bowles said that he wasn't sure when Brady would actually return, despite Brady's absence being pre-planned weeks ago, prior to training camp.

"We'll see," Bowles said. "We'll talk about it next week. Not concerned about it right now. We're trying to practice against Tennessee and play a game. I said 'sometime after Tennessee.' There's no definitive date for me. But we'll check on it, we'll keep in touch and we'll find out."

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed Carl Nassib to a one-year deal, according to a source.

The move comes after outside linebacker Cam Gill suffered a Lisfranc injury in Tampa Bay's preseason opener Saturday.

Nassib spent the last two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. Before that, he started 17 of 29 games in a two-year stint with the Buccaneers.

Tom Brady wasn't present for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' second joint practice with the Miami Dolphins on Thursday.

Brady is reportedly away from the team for personal reasons. His absence is expected to extend to a few days.

Todd Bowles is expected to address the situation before long.

Tua Tagovailoa believes the Miami Dolphins are committed to him as their quarterback despite prior interest in Tom Brady.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm still here," he said when asked about Miami's interest in Brady. "To me, that's all noise at this point."

The Dolphins practiced with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday, the first of two joint practice before Saturday's preseason opener.

Speaking to local media last week, Tagovailoa said he generally keeps a tight circle around him and doesn't pay attention to any narrative surrounding him until he's asked.

The opening week of the 2022 NFL season is rapidly approaching, and for a lot of the league it will be the high point of their year, a time where optimism hits reality and either shatters or is retained for the coming weeks.

A quick scan of Super Bowl odds shows the Bills installed as Super Bowl favorites, and they open the season in LA against the holders of the title, the Rams, on Thursday night in what should be a close contest. Plus, there’s divisional battles all over for opening weekend. Who will get their season started in style? We scoured the NFL odds for you – here are our NFL Week 1 picks for every game, including five best bets.

NFL Week 1 Picks & Predictions: 5 Best Bets

Vikings +1.5 vs. Packers

The Packers have won 13 games each of the last three seasons, but their opener last year was an abject failure as they only put up 3 points against the Saints. This time around they’re coming in without Davante Adams, who moved to Vegas over the summer - a big hole which they haven’t filled.

Meanwhile, it’s been all change in Minnesota, with Kevin O’Connell coming in at head coach. That should be a boost for Kirk Cousins and the offense, and we like them to potentially pull off the home upset here. I’m playing it safe, taking the points, and locked it in at -110 with BetMGM, where new bettors can use the BetMGM bonus code REALGM to make their first best risk-free, up to $1,000.

49ers -7 @ Bears

The 49ers enter the season with Trey Lance trying to live up to hype. His mobility should prove effective against most teams in the league, something I’ll be looking for when I place my NFL prop bets, and with Deebo Samuel there’s always a TD in the cards for the 49ers.

The Bears have done nothing to help their sophomore QB who comes in with one of the worst offenses in the league, behind one of the worst offensive lines. I don’t see them keeping it close. This line won’t get shorter, and for that reason I’m taking the 49ers to cover on the road at -110 with BetMGM.

Saints -5.5 @ Falcons

The NFC South opens with the Saints visiting the Falcons, who could prove to be the worst team in the league this year. Jameis Winston won 5 of his 7 starts before an injury last year. Michael Thomas is also coming back, joining rookie Chris Olave and veteran Jarvis Landry in a nice looking passing attack to support a top-5 defense.

The Falcons are without much talent on either side of the ball, with Marcus Mariota coming in as the starting QB. It’s Cordelle Patterson and Kyle Pitts and not much else for them. I like the Saints to cover on the road at -110 with DraftKings.

Raiders @ Chargers o52 points

The AFC West is shaping up to be a barnburner this year, and it opens with a divisional clash here before the Chargers take on the Chiefs in the first TNF of the season a few days later. They’ll be looking to get on the board hosting the Raiders, but SoFi will be largely black and silver, so I’m not confident in them covering the spread. I do like this to be high scoring.

The Raiders have strengthened on offense while Justin Herbert is one of the top candidates for MVP this year. I like this to follow four of their last six contests and go over 52 at -110 with BetMGM.

Browns +1.5 @ Panthers

The spread on this game was volatile all summer, but after the news that Deshaun Watson will be suspended for 11 games the spread turned from the Browns being 4 point favorites to the Panthers now favored by 1.5, but one of the strongest rosters in the NFL should still have enough to overcome a Panthers team with former Browns QB Baker Mayfield under center.

Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt will dominate on the ground, and I think that will be enough for the Browns to open the season with a win. That’s why I’m locking in the Browns +1.5 at -110 with Caesars Sportsbook, where you can make this a risk-free first bet up to $1,250 with Caesars Sportsbook promo code REALGM15.

NFL Week 1 Picks & Predictions: Around The League

Bills @ Rams: OVER 52 – In the season opener on Thursday night, the Rams replaced Odell Beckham Jr. with Allen Robinson and look good again, while the Bills will be looking to start their season on a high note. It should be a close game with a lot of scoring. Go OVER.

Ravens @ Jets: Ravens -7 – The Jets were one of the winners of the early off-season, then it all went downhill and now Joe Flacco starts for the Jets. The spread has only moved a point so I’ll still happily take the Ravens to cover a 7-point spread, even on the road.

Colts @ Texans: Texans +7 – I love the Colts to win the division this year, but I can’t trust them to easily win games that they should win. I’d have to take the Texans to cover the 7 points.

Jaguars @ Commanders: Jags Moneyline – The Jags are gaining momentum now they’ve got an actual coach in charge, and with Travis Etienne back, they should put up points. I like them to pull off the upset here.

Patriots @ Dolphins: Dolphins -3.5 – The Patriots tend to struggle in Miami, but it’s usually later in the season. Tua Tagovailoa will be looking to impress with his new-look offense, and I think they’ll have too much for the Patriots to keep up.

Eagles @ Lions: Eagles -4 – Two of the hype teams of the NFC open the season against each other, with the Eagles looking to win back the NFC East title. I like the Lions this year, but I like the Eagles more. I’ll take them to cover the 4.

Steelers @ Bengals: Under 44.5 – Mitchell Trubisky has been announced as starter for the Steelers despite a good preseason showing from Pickett, but it won't matter; the offensive line is still poor. The Bengals will be looking to avoid a Super Bowl hangover, and I think defense will be on top on both sides. So, despite it being a low total, I’ll be looking Under

Chiefs @ Cardinals: Under 53.5 – The Cardinals started the season on fire last year, but they also had Deandre Hopkins. He misses the first six games due to suspension, so that puts me off them here. The Chiefs have a new-look offense without Tyreek Hill. It could be a stuttering start from both, so I’ll go Under the 53.

Giants @ Titans: Giants +6 – With new coaching, the Giants should have a respectable offense. Saquon Barkley returns, and given they didn’t take on Daniel Jones’ fifth-year option, he knows he has to impress. The Titans might be in a soft reset, and I don’t think much of them this season. I like the Giants with the points on the road.

Buccaneers @ Cowboys: Under 51 – Both teams have serious issues on the offensive line and that means sacks and less passing that expected, the line has dropped already but I still like the under here.

Broncos @ Seahawks: Broncos -6.5 – Russell Wilson gets an immediate return against his former team in the opening game, as he takes on the Geno Smith Seattle Seahawks. I don’t see Seattle putting up many points against a solid defense. I’ll be taking the Broncos to start the season in style.