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NFL: JUN 09 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Minicamp

Source: Icon Sportswire / Getty

Tom Brady has finally come out of hiding after an 11-day absence for “personal reasons,” as he prepares for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ second preseason game. There have been various rumors as to the 7x Super Bowl winner’s whereabouts, though, and one particular theory has been getting steam.

Kendall Valenzuela, social media director for The Fantasy Life newsletter, suggests that Brady was away filming episodes for Fox’s reality competition show, The Masked Singer. She made note of Brady’s lucrative 10-year, $375 million deal to be the lead NFL analyst for Fox Sports once he retires.

Valenzuela also highlighted that two people close to Brady have also appeared on the show: his longtime running mate Rob Gronkowski, and the series’ first-ever contestant, Antonio Brown.

Buccaneers tight end Cameron Brate didn’t rule out the idea his team captain may have disappeared to drop a tune or two, either. “He couldn’t do worse at Masked Singer than Gronk,” Brate said according to Greg Aumon of The Athletic.

Valenzuela did say that her theorizing is “all for fun,” but Brady has since denied that he was on the show at all. “Wasn’t on the masked singer last week. Was wearing a mask though,” the quarterback tweeted on Monday. However, Brady threw fans off the trail by responding with a video of motorcycle stunt rider Stifler, rocking a helmet and boxer briefs to promote his athletic apparel line, BRADY.

But a report from Pro Football Network is helping put all speculation to rest. According to the document, Brady was actually spending family time in the Caribbean — and the hiatus was planned all along.

“League sources indicated that Brady’s time away from the team included a trip to the Bahamas at an exclusive resort and primarily for family time with his wife, Gisele Bündchen,” the report reads. “His commitment to family and having a personal life was at the heart of this hiatus from football, and there was no medical emergency, as speculated, or other reasons.”