A Brief Timeline of How Tom Brady Spent His Deflategate Suspension
PHOTO BY SCOTT ROTH/ INVISION / ASSOCIATED PRESS
The wait is almost over Patriots fans, as Tom Brady’s four-game suspension for Deflategate officially comes to an end on Monday, October 3.
It’s been a wild ride not seeing TB12 lead his New England crew into battle, but thankfully, the team has been doing just fine in his absence—despite all the injuries. Things have been going pretty well for the quarterback too, as his suspension has thus far looked like an amazing, extended vacation. Only Brady can make a punishment seem fun.
From playing catch with his family to absconding to the coast of Italy for nude sunbathing sessions, here’s a brief overview of how the Patriots star spent his time off.
September 3: Patriots fans’ worst nightmare became a reality as their star quarterback started his monthlong suspension.
September 6: Brady’s 90’s haircut caused a fuss before the season began and Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon wasn’t letting him off the hook just because he was suspended. The comedian mocked TB12’s hairdo during his “pros and cons” bit.
September 7: The Patriots star gushed over Gisele Bündchen and revealed his ideal date night with his wife in an interview with People. Aren’t they adorable?
September 10: It wasn’t all fun and games for the Brady-Bündchen bunch, as Gisele vowed to keep her man in shape with an Instagram post featuring the couple playing catch.
September 11: The first test of the season went pretty well for the Patriots as they edged out the Cardinals in game one. Brady took to Facebook to roast Arizona over the loss with a hilarious faux newspaper cover. TB12 also got a shoutout from his pal Juilan Edelman after the game.
Posted by Tom Brady on Sunday, September 11, 2016
September 12: The following day, Brady unveiled the first funny video from his new Uggs campaign with actor Jeff Bridges. A bit of advice: Never wake a sleeping Brady.
When doing nothing goes wrong….
Posted by Tom Brady on Monday, September 12, 2016
September 14: This proved to be a pretty eventful day in the world of Brady. He freaked everyone out when a New York magazine article revealed that he’s never eaten a strawberry. Then the infamous “Fake Brady” mask scared the daylights out of the Today show crew. Another faux Brady also called into Toucher & Rich, causing even more chaos to ensue.
September 16: Brady had some fun throwing touchdown passes to his son back at his old stomping grounds of Michigan Stadium before his alma mater’s game against Colorado.
Friday night touchdowns at the Big House!! #bradytobrady #love
Posted by Tom Brady on Saturday, September 17, 2016
September 17: Brady then served as an honorary captain for Michigan and played catch with coach Jim Harbaugh at the Big House.
Tom Brady is playing a game of catch with Jim Harbaugh at pregame in Michigan stadium. pic.twitter.com/2FFydDdloL
— Patrick Barron (@BlueBarronPhoto) September 17, 2016
September 18: Brady celebrated the Patriots hard fought win over the Dolphins with another great edition of TB Times. Overall, it was a rough matchup since Jimmy Garoppolo was forced out of the game due to an injury, allowing backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett a shot on the field. Nevertheless, the Pats still prevailed.
Posted by Tom Brady on Sunday, September 18, 2016
September 19: After it was revealed that Wes Welker was under the “Fake Brady” mask at Gilette Stadium, Brady finally weighed in on the odd tribute during an interview with the Westwood One radio network. TB12 admitted that he got an up-close look at the disguise when he hung out with Welker and called the mask “probably the creepiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
September 21: Brady was Gisele’s hot date for the premiere of National Geographic’s Years of Living in New York City.
September 22: TB12 continued his dive into fake news with yet another amazing TB Times cover, this time roasting the Texans following their 27-0 loss to the Patriots. Miraculously, New England kicked off the season with a perfect 3-0 record, even after all their quarterback woes.
Posted by Tom Brady on Thursday, September 22, 2016
September 23: As the suspension neared its end, Brady decided to fly off to Italy for one last hurrah before his return to the gridiron. The Patriots star and his wife wined, dined, and got some R&R time on the high seas.
“We had a great time. It was a great chance to get away,” Brady said in an interview with Westwood One. “I’ve never had an opportunity in September and hopefully I don’t have one for a very, very long time.”
September 26: Boat trips and fancy restaurants weren’t the only highlights from the European vacation. The New York Post somehow obtained photos of Brady getting some nude sunbathing time in during his stay in Positano with Gisele. Take that Roger Goodell.
EXCLUSIVE: Naked Tom Brady sure seems to be enjoying his #Deflategate suspension https://t.co/R1dN8mXlX8 pic.twitter.com/hWQVazGwI8
— New York Post (@nypost) September 27, 2016
September 27: Brady used his star power to hype up the Ryder Cup USA in an awesome video preview.
Tom Brady is in. Are you? #WeAre13#GoUSA pic.twitter.com/9eWAF80pbQ
— Ryder Cup USA (@RyderCupUSA) September 28, 2016
September 29: TB12 announced that he’s teaming up with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon for another amazing Omaze campaign, offering fans a chance to hang out with the boys in Boston. Brady announced the fundraiser with a hilarious video featuring his famous fanboys.
September 30: Brady can now add part owner of the UFC to his resume as he joined a star-studded group of investors who bought stakes in the MMA promotion, including fellow locals Affleck, Mark Wahlberg, Conan O’Brien, and Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
October 2: While the Bills were shutting out the Patriots, Brady was getting one last practice in before his long-awaited return at Brookline’s Dexter-Southfield.
Footage of Tom Brady working out at Dexter-Southfield in Brookline within last hour, shot by source. pic.twitter.com/1Py18rX5ef
— Tim Whelan Jr. (@thattimwhelan) October 2, 2016
The quarterback also received a hilarious, Star Wars-themed tribute on Sunday courtesy of ESPN.
There’s been an awakening…
Posted by NFL on ESPN on Sunday, October 2, 2016
October 3: He’s back! It wasn’t always pretty for the Patriots, but they somehow managed to go 3-1 in Brady’s absence. Now that he’s returned, the real fun can begin.
