Tom Brady does some misdirection, practices on his designated ‘rest day’

TAMPA — In what appeared to be a modification — or defiance — of his weekly schedule, Tom Brady was spotted at practice Wednesday, engaging in passing drills with the other quarterbacks during the brief window open to reporters.

Only two days earlier, first-year coach Todd Bowles confirmed Brady, 45, would get a rest day each Wednesday, though he would still be in the AdventHealth Training Center. Bowles addressed Brady’s presence after practice.

“He usually takes individual (drills),” Bowles said.

“Some reps he takes and some he does not. He’s out there every day, that’s the biggest thing for us. He can switch it up when we want to switch it up, but there are some things he’s got to get down, then we’ll put him in there and get them down.”

Brady, whose team can achieve only the fifth 3-0 start in franchise history at home Sunday against the Packers, also acknowledged he’ll take one practice day off per week on his weekly podcast Monday evening.

“The fact that I have worked weekends for the last 23 years, I do deserve one day off a week,” Brady, who also said he’s nursing a sore finger on his throwing hand, told host Jim Gray.

Bowles reiterated Wednesday that “six or seven” veterans would get a rest day each week. Among them: receivers Mike Evans, Julio Jones and Chris Godwin; and veteran linebacker Lavonte David.

Evans, serving a one-game suspension, was not at the facility Wednesday. Jones (knee) and Godwin (hamstring), neither of whom played last weekend against the Saints, were at the facility but weren’t seen during the limited practice window open to reporters.

“We call them ‘veteran days’ for ourselves,” Bowles said. “But they get all their work in. They get their workouts in, they study tape, they watch practice, some of them even do individual periods. And again, it’s not just (Brady), he had days off last year.”

Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls

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