Does Tom Brady Even Need to Practice?

We've scrambled the jets and pulled up all of our proprietary surveillance systems to stand guard for what is hopefully an inevitable take. That Tom Brady isn't serious about football and a bad teammate because he is having fun in the Bahamas sun with his family instead of preparing for the upcoming season as quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Some mystery has existed over the indecisive quarterback and this morning we get purported details of what he's up to in lieu of baking out in the hot sun going over read progressions.

Have you ever heard of an NFL player going on vacation during the preseason? If it were anyone not named Brady, it'd be a major scandal. Hell, Odell Beckham Jr. and the New York Giants once boarded a boat during their free time and it has followed him ever since.

But this is how it should be. Brady should be able to travel the world like Zac Efron on an extremely chaotic reality show and arrive at the stadium an hour before kick on Sunday. He's earned such privileged and anyone with an actual problem with or pretending to have a problem with it should consult his jam-packed trophy case.

In fact, I think I'm willing to go a step farther and ask why he even needs to practice at all. After 22 years in the NFL, I am pretty sure he understands the job. There's nothing he's going to see out there he hasn't seen before and he is blessed with great continuity and tremendous skill position players. As long as he stays in shape — no problem with that diet and zealot-like commitment — and keeps his arm loose, it sure seems as though he'd be able to out there and perform without all the dress rehearsals.

Perhaps this is a more existential question. At what point does an athlete become so good at their craft that the minute gains made during training pale in comparison to the time investment? Maybe Brady has already made his decision on that by choosing to do something else.