During his news conference following the New England Patriots’ win over the New York Jets on Sunday, a reporter informed quarterback Tom Brady that his Green Bay Packers counterpart, Aaron Rodgers, had suffered a potentially season-ending injury a few hours earlier.
“I didn’t know that,” Brady said. “That sucks.”
Brady and Rodgers arguably are the NFL’s two best active quarterbacks, and their teams entered the weekend as Super Bowl contenders in the AFC and NFC, respectively. Upon hearing that Rodgers had broken his collarbone early in the Packers’ 23-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Brady reached out to offer a message of support.
“I sent him just a message, an email,” Brady said Monday morning on WEEI’s “Kirk & Callahan.” “It’s bad news. It sucks.”
Rodgers is the latest in a growing list of NFL stars who have suffered serious injuries this season, including New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson and Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt. The Patriots also lost top wide receiver Julian Edelman to a torn ACL during the preseason.
“You’re seeing a lot of guys that happen to — J.J. Watt, Whitney Mercilus,” Brady told “K&C.” “So many players, guys on our own team. Julian, obviously, is going through it. I don’t know what the prognosis for (Rodgers), but it looked pretty (serious). It’s tough, man. You never know which play.”
Brady missed nearly the entire 2008 season with a torn ACL but never has missed another game due to injury in his 18 years in the NFL. The 40-year-old sat out two practices last week with a shoulder injury but said he feels “pretty darn good” following Sunday’s 24-17 win over the Jets.
“I missed 2008, and that was a real eye-opener, because I went many seasons without being out of a game, and I thought, ‘That’s the way it goes,'” Brady told “K&C.” “Then you finally miss a year, and you’re like, ‘Oh my God.’ It’s torture to sit there and watch. I’m as proactive as I can be in keeping everything feeling (good), all of my muscles healthy and working efficiently, trying to help absorb all those forces as best I can.”
Thumbnail photo via Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY Sports Images