TAMPA, Fla. _ Tom Brady walked into the wrong house earlier this month, but was he doing the wrong thing in the first place?
Pro Football Talk says that Brady's accidental trespass April 7, reported by TMZ Thursday, may have been innocent, but his intended visit to the home of offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich to pick up materials was against NFL rules.
Pro Football Talk quoted a league source saying "players cannot meet with coaches at any time prior to the start of the offseason program." Meetings outside the building are even more problematic, because in many cases those meetings can happen without detection.
David Kramer, who lives next door to Leftwich in the MacDill area of South Tampa, told TMZ that "I literally was just sitting here and I watch this tall guy just walk into my house. ... He just like dropped his duffel bags down on the floor and just kind of like looked up at me and I'll never forget the look on his face."
According to Pro Football Talk, those duffel bags are an indication that Brady likely intended to work out with Leftwich.
"Totally illegal," the source told PFT. "They should be fined. Plus, I bet those duffel bags had footballs in them."
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio says there has been speculation in the media and the league that Tampa Bay is taking a "no (expletive) given" approach to compliance with the rules regarding both the pursuit of Brady and the effort to get him up to speed for the 2020 season, even if violations of stay-at-home orders will make it harder to have a 2020 season."
The NFL has not yet responded to requests by PFT and the Tampa Bay Times for clarification on the rules. The Bucs have not commented on the report.
