Tom Brady appears to be raring to go after knee surgery, but Bruce Arians might play it safe with him

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to begin mandatory minicamp next week, but it’s unknown if they will have their legendary starting quarterback under center as they begin to prepare for the 2021 season. Tom Brady, who is set to turn 44 in August, is coming off of a knee surgery that he described as “pretty serious” earlier this offseason. While Brady has been rehabbing, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians said he might err on the side of caution and have him play the role of assistant coach as the team begins on-field prep. 

“I don’t know how much I’ll let him do … with guys chasing him around,” Arians said, via ESPN’s Jenna Laine. “We’ll see. We’ll see what the doctors say. He may be doing a lot of coaching.” 

Arians said this knowing that Brady is doing well in recovery. He has worked out with teammates at the New York Yankees’ practice facility in Tampa, according to ESPN. Recently, Brady dropped a video on Instagram showing him taking snaps, throwing and running without a knee brace. 

“Evidently it was a real good workout,” Arians said on Tuesday. “I wasn’t here, but from everything I heard, it was a real good workout. He’s not in town right now, but I would hope some of those guys that have been with him would come in here tomorrow. We’ll see.”

Erring on the side of caution is likely the smart move for Arians and the Bucs, as Brady’s health is paramount when it comes to Tampa’s goal of repeating as Super Bowl champions. Brady’s first season apart from the New England Patriots was a magical one, as he threw for 4,633 yards, 40 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and led the Bucs to an 11-5 regular-season record before they ran the table in the postseason and defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.