NFL, as expected, has no issue with Tom Brady-organized Buccaneers workouts

[Captain Fear]

Yes, Tom Brady was spotted working out with some of his new teammates in Tampa. No, it’s not an issue for the NFL.

Via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the NFL says that Brady and his teammates may practice outside the team facility, as long as they follow the recommendations of state and local authorities. With the current trend toward relaxing and/or eliminating stay-at-home orders, it becomes far less problematic in late May than it would have been in late March for players to congregate outdoors to practice football.

Besides, the NFL consistently has made it clear, given its past inaction, that no action will be taken against players who violate stay-at-home orders to engage in football workouts or to otherwise participate in events that run afoul of state and/or local mandates. Despite the importance of limiting the spread of the coronavirus by honoring the rules and regulations of a given jurisdiction, the league simply hasn’t been inclined to punish players who may be breaking those rules.

At this point, then, in a fairly open state like Florida, the league won’t stand in the way of Brady and other players from getting together on their own to do things that they would be prohibited from doing at the team facility. Even if in a given city or state such activities would be permitted at team facilities, the fact that plenty of teams currently can’t conduct such activities at their facilities has kept all facilities closed to players. (Curiously, however, Brady and his teammates apparently have managed to finagle official Buccaneers helmets for these workouts.)

So here’s the broader message to players who want to engage in player-organized workouts: Make sure you’re in a place where that kind of thing is allowed and, if not, consider taking the workouts to a place where it is. That said, don’t be surprised if players engage in workouts wherever they may be, given that the league likely won’t be stopping them from doing it, even if the local rules technically prohibit it.