Tom Brady and Bucs Teammates Defying NFL's Safety Wishes is Irresponsible

On Tuesday, Tom Brady posted a picture of himself working out in Florida, and subsequent reports confirmed that he was doing so with several of his Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammates, including tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receiver Chris Godwin.

It's clear that the 42-year-old quarterback is motivated to develop chemistry with his new team, However, given the latest spike of positive coronavirus cases scattered throughout the NFL, working out in large groups probably isn't a great idea.

In fact, the players' association advised against it on Saturday in light of the recent wave.

"Please be advised that it is our consensus medical opinion that in light of the increase in COVID-19 cases in certain states that no players should be engaged in practicing together in private workouts," said NFLPA medical direction, Dr. Thom Mayer. "Our goal is to have all players and your families as healthy as possible in the coming months.

Brady and Co. blatantly denying Mayer's guidance is extremely irresponsible. It becomes even more disconcerting when you recall that ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Saturday that two Buccaneers players contracted the virus. On top of that, Florida's latest flood of cases has led public health officials to believe that it will soon become the new epicenter for the pandemic...if it isn't already.

It's not like the normally buttoned-up Brady to defy professional advice so flagrantly, let alone safety protocols as serious as this. Forget his stature as an NFL player. The six-time Super Bowl champ deserves as much flak that any normal citizen would receive for breaching regulations.