Tom Brady Aug 27, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) smiles during the national anthem before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

With Tom Brady gearing up for his 23rd season in the NFL, many are still speculating what exactly he was doing during his 11-day absence from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The most popular — or at least, intriguing — belief is that he took a break to film for the hit FOX reality singing competition, The Masked Singer.

Although the seven-time Super Bowl champ has denied those claims, some on social media are drawing up yet another, but somewhat believable conclusion.

Audacy Sport’s Dan Mennella sifted through several tweets some of the recent posts by fans on Twitter regarding Brady’s return to the club. That led to speculation that Brady might have had some sort of plastic surgery. Among other things, Mennella cited a “gaunt” look during a press conference ahead of Saturday’s preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Others in the NFL world agreed.

https://twitter.com/its_always_sun/status/1564404192336289792

https://twitter.com/EoinHiggins_/status/1564037601585143816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1564037601585143816%7Ctwgr%5Eeba0f2e0f10f065ff2bdd0d743ba6df46de5e87d%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.yardbarker.com%2Fnfl%2Farticles%2Ffans_speculate_tom_brady_got_plastic_surgery_during_mysterious_11_day_absence%2Fs1_13132_37822003

Brady has yet to explain the exact reason for his absence. His explanation was vague, saying that it was a “personal issue” that kept him away.

While it seems as though Brady has gotten some level of facial enhancements during his career and has opened up more with the media in his time with Tampa, we likely will never find out the real reason for his absence — at least until the new season of The Masked Singer begins.

[Audacy]

About Jasper Jones

A native east coaster via Connecticut, Jasper is a writer for The Comeback and Audacy Sports. He decided to head south for college, attending the University of Kentucky and graduating with a degree in broadcast journalism. Prior to joining The Comeback, Jones spent a year writing for FanSided's college football blog, Saturday Blitz, covering news surrounding the sport and recruiting. He spent the same amount of time doing some freelance work for the tabloid/sports outlet BlackSportsOnline. In his free time, Jones loves to cheer on his Kentucky Wildcats, collect sneakers, read a good book, and get in some gains at the gym. You can follow him on Twitter @jonesj2342.