Ryan Clady won’t be on the field Sunday when the Denver Broncos face the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. He tore his ACL during offseason OTAs and has missed the entire 2015 season as a result.
The four-time Pro Bowl tackle is proud of the Broncos’ accomplishments to this point, however, especially since Denver’s AFC Championship Game win prevented the New England Patriots from again punching their ticket to the big game.
“I’m happy for my teammates. I’m happy to be here this week and happy New England is not here, to be honest with you,” Clady said Monday during Super Bowl 50 Opening Night at the SAP Center, according to FOX Sports.
The Broncos talked plenty of smack leading up to the teams’ AFC Championship matchup, but Clady’s jab again speaks to how the Patriots are viewed across the league. New England has been a model of consistency for the better part of two decades, and Clady, who’s spent his entire seven-year career with the Broncos, knows all too well how difficult it can be playing Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and Co., especially at Gillette Stadium.
“(The rivalry) is definitely real,” Clady said, per FOX Sports. “Just my generation, I’ve never won in Foxboro. Just that tension and rivalry when you get your butt whipped there a few times, you’re not going to like the team. It’s kind of how it is.”
Taking a shot at the Pats even after knocking out the defending Super Bowl champions seems like a low blow, and one could argue Clady should pipe down given that he hasn’t played this season and the Broncos have their hands full with the Carolina Panthers. But don’t misinterpret Clady’s comments for a total lack of respect. The results over the years speak for themselves, and he knows it.
“They’ve been very successful with it so you can’t exactly knock them,” Clady said. “But they’re not here.”
Nope, they’re not. And that’s OK with more than a few people, including Clady.
Thumbnail photo via Chris Humphreys/USA TODAY Sports Images
