TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tom Brady returned to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday, ending what has been described as an 11-day, prearranged break from training camp for personal reasons.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion didn’t address the media after practicing. Teammates and coach Todd Bowles said the 45-year-old quarterback was sharp throwing the ball and essentially took up where he left off when he left the team Aug. 11.

While he was away, Brady missed two preseason games that Bowles said the quarterback would not have played in even if he were with the team. The coach added the break had been planned since well before the start of training camp last month.

In Brady’s absence, backup Blaine Gabbert and third-stringer Kyle Trask shared most of the snaps in practice and during preseason losses to the Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts. Bowles said it has not been determined if — or how much — Brady might play in Saturday night’s preseason finale at Indianapolis.

PANTHERS NAME MAYFIELD STARTER

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Baker Mayfield will start the Carolina Panthers’ Sept. 11 regular-season opener against his former team, the Cleveland Browns.

Panthers coach Matt Rhule made the announcement on the team’s website Monday.

Mayfield, acquired in a trade with the Browns earlier this offseason, beat out incumbent starter Sam Darnold for the job. The news was expected as Mayfield had outperformed Darnold during most of training camp.

Both Mayfield and Darnold are expected to play in the team’s preseason finale on Friday night against the Buffalo Bills. Neither Mayfield nor Darnold has seen much action in the preseason and both were held out of last week’s game against the New England Patriots.

Rhule originally said the Panthers would keep three quarterbacks on the roster, but that was before rookie third-round draft pick Matt Corral suffered a Lisfranc ligament tear in his foot.

VIKINGS ACQUIRE BACKUP QB

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — After another inconsistent preseason performance, the Minnesota Vikings added another quarterback to the competition to be the backup to Kirk Cousins.

Minnesota acquired backup quarterback Nick Mullens from the Las Vegas Raiders for a conditional 2024 seventh-round draft pick.

The Vikings announced the deal Monday and said it will be finalized as soon as Mullens passes a physical. The Raiders will get the 2024 pick only if Mullens is on the active roster for at least one game this season.

Mullens will compete with second-year player Kellen Mond and veteran Sean Mannion, who both struggled to move the ball much against San Francisco in Saturday’s second preseason game.

Mond and Mannion have split time this preseason with Cousins sitting out. Mond, the team’s third-round pick in 2021, threw two TD passes in the Vikings’ exhibition opener against Las Vegas but had two interceptions against San Francisco.

Mannion, who has thrown 110 passes in seven seasons as a backup in the NFL, was 18 of 27 in two preseason games, but averaged 5.33 yards per attempt.

Combined Mond and Mannion were 20 of 35 for just 147 yards, and the offense generated only 195 yards Saturday. O’Connell said he’s been pleased with the backs and offensive line in the running game, so he was more focused on the passing game against San Francisco.

Mullens, 27, has appeared in 20 career games with 17 starts with San Francisco and Cleveland since entering the league as an undrafted free agent with the Niners in 2017.

He has completed 64.6% of his passes, averaging 267.8 yards passing in his starts, with 26 TDs, 22 interceptions and an 87.3 passer rating. He went 20 for 30 for 147 yards and a TD in his only appearance last season for the Browns.