TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said Monday that quarterback Tom Brady missing the team's walk-through to attend New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's wedding in New York had no impact on the Bucs' 20-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
He also said he doesn't believe Brady is receiving preferential treatment by being able to attend the Friday wedding — which caused him to miss the team's Saturday walk-through — or having weekly days off or taking an 11-day break during training camp to tend to personal issues. «He works as hard as anybody,» Bowles said. «Special treatment — there have been a few guys that have missed meetings and some practices for some special thing — that just doesn't get publicized because they're not him.
It just kind of comes with the territory. You don't worry about it too much.» Brady met the team at its hotel in Pittsburgh, where he attended his usual pregame meetings, and he did not take a weekly off day the past two weeks.
Bowles said he doesn't believe giving Brady time off to attend a social function or tend to a personal matter during camp has impacted his other teammates, who look to him as their leader and might think it's OK to slack off or not put forth the same level of preparation.