WATCH: Tom Brady and Julio Jones send warning to NFL defenses as Buccaneers training camp heats up
After a turbulent offseason, Tom Brady was back on the practice field this week preparing for another run at the Lombardi Trophy.
Joining him on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster is wide receiver Julio Jones, who has also had an offseason full of instability. While Jones failed to explode in Tennessee, a practice video has surfaced showing the story might be different in Tampa Bay this year.
In a Buccaneers video posted by Pat McAfee on Instagram, the quarterback showed how well he was getting along with Jones. Put simply, the two appear to be in top form.
In the short practice clip, the camera zoomed in on Tom Brady during a scrimmage play as he locked in on the wide receiver.
As he passed the ball, the camera tracked the pigskin through the air while zooming out to reveal Brady's target. The Atlanta Falcons receiver was engaged in a one-on-one situation with a cornerback. Jones was able to track the ball and come down with the catch for a big gain, impressing the crowd and putting other teams on notice.
The accompanying caption appeared to echo the crowd, saying the connection was "HEATIN up":
"The Tom Brady/Julio Jones connection appears to be HEATIN up DAHN in Tampa.. THIS IS A PROBLEM"
Tom Brady is fine and the team is on board with his reasons for being absent. But it'll be a little bit before he's back. twitter.com/RapSheet/statu…
Tom Brady's journey through the 2020s
Since exiting the playoffs via loss in 2019, Tom Brady's life has seemingly consisted of one big development after the other.
Soon after the 2019 season ended, the quarterback left the New England Patriots, with whom he had spent 20 years, and went to Tampa Bay. With the Buccaneers, he made the playoffs as a Wild-Card qualifier after failing to win the division for the first time in his career.
He then went on to win the Super Bowl in 2021, becoming just one of two quarterbacks in history to win a Super Bowl with two different franchises. In 2021, he put together a strong season, but the Bucs failed to reach the Super Bowl after running into the buzzsaw that was the Los Angeles Rams.
After losing against LA, Tom Brady retired from the league. However, he didn't stay away for long, returning after just six weeks. Once only rumors, it is now almost an objective fact that his goal was to join the Miami Dolphins as a minority owner.
Soon after his return, it was announced that he had signed a deal to join FOX for ten years following his final retirement from the league.
The question remains: how many more years does Brady have left in the league? Some think this year will be his swansong, but others believe he'll continue on for multiple years. At this point, only No. 12 knows the answer for sure.