Tom Brady’s Conditioning Is Fine
August 27th, 2022
Is Tom Brady in shape?
Those looking for a problem with Tom Brady thought they found one in the final practice of training camp on Thursday.
Just three days after he returned from his mid-training camp Bahamas excursion, Brady looked like he was struggling with the heat on a morning practice that didn’t seem that hot (compared to earlier practices) with a nice breeze blowing.
Joe saw twice (but heard others say it was three times) Brady ducking out of practice and to take a break in the Bucs’ walk-in meat locker adjacent to the practice fields.
That walk-in meat locker is about 25 feet long and big enough to have three rows of aluminum bleachers in it. Joe snuck in there once in training camp and it is cold. Immediately upon entering you are blasted by industrial-strength fans. It had to be below 40 degrees.
(Last year Joe was speaking with Brian Baldinger of NFL Network and he was telling Joe about the same apparatus at Saints camp. Baldinger said it was so cold that the Saints’ training staff packed ice in it for quick access for use at practice.)
So after seeing Brady take multiple trips to the walk-in meat locker on Thursday, Bucs coach Todd Bowles was asked if Brady’s vacation zapped something out of him. Nah, Bowles said. Brady’s done that before.
“No, they’ve done that since camp started,” Bowles said. “No, I don’t think [Brady’s Bahamas vacation] takes off anything from him. He missed 11 days, but he wasn’t playing in the first two [preseason games]. If you count his days off plus the days off naturally, he would only [have] practiced about three times.
“He’s fine with everything, we know his conditioning is fine, he’s getting back with the guys, he’s throwing the ball and we’re good.”
To be fair, Brady was not the only player heading to the meat locker. So too did Mike Evans. Nobody believes Evans is out of shape. And yes, Joe hds seen Evans use that walk-in meat locker before.
Brady sure didn’t look like he missed a beat in practice. If he developed rust on vacation, he sure appeared to have shaken it off.
August 27th, 2022 at 8:19 am
Stop with this minute analysis of every Brady action. Brady’s biggest strength is cerebral. His second biggest strength is his right arm. His third biggest strength is his vision. As long as he doesn’t get injured he won’t be fine.
August 27th, 2022 at 8:25 am
There’s only so much to write about sans player new transactions and actually being able to observe practices
August 27th, 2022 at 8:36 am
I would avoid that locker like the plague until I was done for the day. It just makes the heat seem so much worse when you go back out. In fact, I’ve been saying for years that the Bucs need to keep the visitor’s locker room as cold as possible because when the opposing team walks out into the heat and humidity it will be a lot worse. It will feel like a blanket has been thrown over them…..a hot, wet, suffocating blanket.
I know of what I speak. I was a paramedic for 20 years. I’d go from the 72° station to the 72° ambulance, to the 120° + (with 95% humidity) interstate and it was literally breathtaking. My partner and I finally figured out that we needed to keep the ambulance AC on low, as in minimal or no AC. That helped….a bit.
August 27th, 2022 at 8:39 am
I saw multiple photos of the entire QB room entering the cold room. That’s why Bowles said “they.” Lowering your body temperature has nothing to do with conditioning and everything to do with the sweltering heat. If he didn’t cool down frequently, it would have a negative impact on his play. Joe is reaching on any sort of conditioning problem for Brady. We’re talking about Tom Brady?!
August 27th, 2022 at 8:46 am
Keep bringing all these little nuggets Joe. Most of us love any info we can get regardless of how mundane they seem to some. That’s why we’re here.
August 27th, 2022 at 8:48 am
Ducking in for a few minutes for a cool down is fine. I see your point if you were in it for an extended period of time WillieG. I’m sure Brady knows what he’s doing.
August 27th, 2022 at 8:50 am
“Those looking for a problem.” That’s the ENTIRE problem in my opinion. Yes, his so-called vacation zapped his strength. The same Brady who has his personal trainer travel with him frequently. Did Brady take frequent breaks to take a dump? It must be that darn “vacation” he took. Did Brady show up with extra pounds? It must be that darn “vacation.” A source tells me that Brady was farting frequently during practice. It led to multiple issues in the huddle. It must be that darn “vacation.”
The narrative has already been set: If Brady struggles, it was that darn “vacation.” He could’ve spent valuable time gaining chemistry with Kalen Geiger, Jerreth Sterns, and Vyncent Smith.
August 27th, 2022 at 8:53 am
@ Aceofaerospace Love the sarcasm lol
August 27th, 2022 at 8:57 am
Giselle kept TB12’s cardio up on vacay. No worries.
August 27th, 2022 at 9:28 am
I’m not worried about TB12… I am worried about our left guard and center positions.
August 27th, 2022 at 9:51 am
So Brady announced officially he was in the Bahama’s ?
August 27th, 2022 at 10:00 am
Sounds like Cyril Grayson cleared waivers and is now with us again on Injured reserve.
August 27th, 2022 at 10:57 am
I can see why Cyril would have been the odd man out though, even if he hadn’t been injured. At 28 years old, especially as a WR where the speed can diminish quickly, time is working against him.
August 27th, 2022 at 11:18 am
Exactly same thing Joe thought. But yeah, if a player really is having body heat rise, that quick cool down would sure help.
August 27th, 2022 at 2:33 pm
So they have to warm up again when they get out of the freezer? Seems like a hammy shredder to me.
August 28th, 2022 at 10:23 am
Bucsfan13, your right man, they keep harping on his time off. Sounds like he really needed it, should make him better not worse. Once the season starts hopefully all this nonsense will end. GOBUCS!