In his first public comments since being traded to the New England Patriots last week, defensive end Kony Ealy explained why he’s so excited to share a locker room with quarterback Tom Brady.
“I like getting after quarterbacks,” Ealy told “Patriots Today” after arriving at Gillette Stadium. “Good thing I get to play with one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play and to learn from him — he’s going to help me learn how to get to more quarterbacks.”
The Patriots traded a second-round draft pick to the Carolina Panthers on Friday in exchange for Ealy and a third-round pick. The 25-year-old will be tasked with helping to bolster a New England pass rush that — with the exception of breakout star Trey Flowers — lacked explosiveness in 2016.
A second-round pick out of Missouri in 2014, Ealy has tallied 14 sacks during his three-year NFL career, including five in each of the last two seasons. He’s best known for his stellar performance in Super Bowl 50, when he recorded three sacks, forced a fumble and intercepted a Peyton Manning pass in Carolina’s loss to the Denver Broncos.
Ealy said he is “very excited” to join the Patriots, who have won two of the last three Super Bowls and have reached six consecutive AFC Championship Games.
“Coming in here, being with a group of guys, a championship-caliber team, having an opportunity to learn from these guys and hopefully be there myself, it’s just putting everything together just like God has a plan for me,” Ealy told “Patriots Today.”
We should hear more from Ealy later this week in his introductory conference call with New England reporters.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
