Tom Brady is suspended for four games, in case you haven’t heard, but he still fulfilled his sponsored obligation to be interviewed by Westwood One’s Jim Gray on Thursday night before the Carolina Panthers-Denver Broncos season opener.
It’s possibly the only time Brady will speak to the media during his Deflategate suspension. Here’s what the New England Patriots quarterback had to say in the radio interview.
On if he removed his NFL logo helmet decal:
“No, I didn’t. I don’t even pay attention to what’s on my helmet. I just hope the helmet is functional. That’s all I’m trying for the helmet to be. I don’t pay attention to the stickers or anything on there. I certainly didn’t remove anything.”
On Julian Edelman’s comment that it’s like Brady is in jail:
“Well, not quite jail. I feel like I don’t have the opportunity to do something I love to do. That’s the hard part about the situation we’re in. I’m going to try to be positive about that and spend some quality time with my family and pick my kids up from school and do some things I won’t have the opportunity to do in October and November and December and for the years to come. Hopefully I can keep playing football for a long time, and I don’t have to ever sit out another September for as long as I’m playing.”
On the banner featuring his image on the Gillette Stadium lighthouse:
“I think it was a very cool gesture by Mr. Kraft and the team. I’ll be excited to be back out there in October when I’m out there for real. It was a really cool thing to do. I was certainly very humbled and flattered to see it. On social media, I’ve seen quite a bit of it. I haven’t seen it in person.”
On the speculated rift with Jimmy Garoppolo:
“I think there’s obviously a lot of things that are said over the course of the season, and it’s to try to divide our team. That’s never been what our team is about. I want all the players on our team to do great. Certainly Jimmy, I know him really well. He’s really done a great job preparing himself, and I’m excited to see how he makes the most of his opportunity.”
On what he’ll do during his suspension:
“I’m really trying to take it day by day, Jim. It’s a lot of unchartered territory for me. I’m really just trying to focus on the things I can control and trying to stay in great shape and be prepared for when I get the opportunity to play in October. And also to spend some time with my family.”
On why he dropped his suspension appeal:
“It was a personal decision for me. It went on for obviously a long time. I wanted to thank, especially the people in the NFLPA who have represented all of the players over the years and all the hard work they’ve done. It just came down to a personal choice where I wanted to put it behind me and move forward.”
On if he’ll watch the Patriots’ games:
“I’m going to watch the game. I’m very interested, and I want our team to do great. I’m going to study as if I was playing. I’m going to watch those games and analyze them as if I was in there playing so I’m ready to go against Cleveland in Week 5.”
Listen to the entire interview here.
Thumbnail photo via Noah K. Murray/USA TODAY Sports Images
