Report: Tom Brady Working Semi-Regularly with Julian Edelman in Patriots’ Practice Bubble at Gillette

By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com

Tom Brady may not be on the main field at Gillette Stadium for Patriots OTAs. But he has been quite close to Gillette Stadium.

As reported by NBC Sports Boston's Mike Giardi on Friday, Brady has been a "semi-regular" at the Patriots indoor practice facility at the Empower Fieldhouse, known popularly as the "bubble." The quarterback has reportedly been holding his own throwing sessions with Julian Edelman.

Brady has yet to report to Patriots organized team activities, nor is he expected to participate in any of the remaining voluntary sessions. He is, however, expected to report along with tight end Rob Gronkowski to Patriots mandatory minicamp, which runs June 5-7 at Gillette Stadium. Brady previously said in his documentary Tom vs. Time that he intended to spend more time with his family in the 2018 offseason, but his workouts with Edelman in Foxboro are certainly an indication that he's focused on football.

The reported rift between Brady and Bill Belichick will surely continue to be discussed in the wake of this news. The practice bubble is located about 1,000 feet away from the main field, where most of the rest of his teammates (including Edelman) have been working with the coaching staff during OTAs. Linebacker Dont'a Hightower preached the team's "Next Man Up" mentality when asked how different it was for the team to practice without their starting quarterback and tight end.

Hopefully, for the sake of both Brady and the Patriots, he's on point when he finally works out with the rest of the team at mandatory minicamp. He'll almost certainly be in sync with Edelman, but June 5 will mark the first time Brady publicly practices with new teammates like receivers Jordan Matthews and Cordarrelle Patterson, and running back Jeremy Hill. It'll also be the first session for Brady with rookies like running back Sony Michel and receiver Braxton Berrios.

We can quibble all we want about whether this is a Bad Look™ for Brady. But at the end of the day, what's important is how the soon-to-be-41-year-old looks on the field. His relationship with Belichick doesn't seem healthy right now, but clearly Brady isn't just completely taking the offseason off.

Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.