Tom Brady’s injury might not be imaginary after all
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The closer we get to Sunday and the AFC Championship Game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots, and the more information we’re seeing about how Tom Brady hurt his hand.
Earlier on Friday, we wrote up on a report that Brady had to get four stitches for a cut on his right hand and that the injury was a bloody mess when it happened. Now comes a bit more information about how it happened, per Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston, who did say there was a caveat in that this is just what he’s hearing, not an official report from team sources.
First things first, this is not a drill. Tom Brady’s right thumb is messed up. This isn’t a Patriots’ ruse, this isn’t a misdirection, and this isn’t what the team was looking for as it tries to get to its eighth Super Bowl since 2001.
What’s given me the most pause since learning there was an injury is that I just haven’t heard from any sources, “Pffffttt, it’s nothing. He’s fine.†The truth is, nobody with what I would consider first-hand knowledge is saying anything. It’s quiet. Too quiet.
The interesting parts of this are that Brady is not taking snaps under center. New England does a ton of work, particularly in the run game, from under center. Brady can play any style that is required, meaning playing from shotgun all game — if that’s what is needed — won’t necessarily spell doom for New England’s offense. But it would seriously curtail what Josh McDaniels could call.
It’s going to be fascinating to see how this all plays out on Sunday. One thing we know for certain is that, if Brady does run into trouble, the Patriots have a secret weapon up their sleeve in the form of a former quarterback who said he still has gas left in the tank for any emergency.
