Tom Brady holds group workout with teammates days after NFLPA recommended against it
Tom Brady doesn’t need your advice, Dr. Thom Mayer.
Even though at least three members of the Buccaneers organization have been diagnosed with a disease that has killed more than 120,000 people in the U.S. alone, the words of the NFL Players Assn. medical director seem to be going unheeded in Tampa Bay.
Brady and “at least a dozen” teammates, including fellow New England transplant Rob Gronkowski, practiced together Tuesday for two hours at a local private school, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The session took place three days after Mayer issued a strongly worded recommendation for players to stop gathering for group workouts until the start of training camp next month.
“Please be advised that it is our consensus medical opinion that in light of the increase in COVID-19 cases in certain states that no players should be engaged in practicing together in private workouts,” Mayer said Saturday in a statement. “Our goal is to have all players and your families as healthy as possible in the coming months.”
Despite spikes of COIVD-19 cases, sports leagues are stubbornly moving forward with resuming or starting their seasons, writes columnist Bill Plaschke.
The warning came on the same day the Buccaneers announced that “there have been individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 at the AdventHealth Training Center.” NFL players have not been permitted to return to team facilities unless they require medical treatment.
Brady, the six-time Super Bowl champion who joined the Bucs as a free agent this offseason, has been leading private workouts at Berkeley Prep for the last month, with the number of players taking part continuing to grow, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The newspaper reported that participants in Tuesday’s session in addition to Brady and Gronkowski included receivers Chris Godwin and Scotty Miller, quarterbacks Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Griffin, center Ryan Jensen, safety Mike Edwards and cornerbacks Jamel Dean and Sean Murphy-Bunting.
Brady took to social media Tuesday to post what appeared to be a workout photo of himself wearing a sweat-drenched T-shirt.
“Two tone TB squared shirt — gotta earn the dark orange,” Brady wrote.
The Buccaneers don’t seem too concerned about the matter. The team’s Instagram account responded to Brady’s post with two laughing-until-crying emojis.
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