Brady, Buccaneers continue workouts, rebuff NFLPA direction

Tom Brady and several of his Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammates continued their group workouts Tuesday despite recommendations from the NFL Players Association to cease such sessions, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

Rob Gronkowski, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Ryan Jensen, Jamel Dean, and Blaine Gabbert were among at least a dozen players present for the unofficial practice at Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa.

Over the weekend, the NFLPA asked players to stop working out together until training camp given the recent rise of coronavirus cases nationwide. Florida, which became one of the first states to loosen social distancing restrictions, has turned into a hotbed for the virus. Last week, two players and one coach from the Buccaneers tested positive for COVID-19.

The Buccaneers worked out for approximately two hours Tuesday, beginning at 7 a.m. Brady has organized a number of group sessions as he looks to build chemistry on and off the field with his new squad.

The 42-year-old Brady signed a two-year, $50-million contract with the Buccaneers in free agency after a decorated 20-year run with the New England Patriots.