Tom Brady’s banged-up elbow has been the subject of great public scrutiny in recent weeks.
Brady says that’s much ado about nothing.
Speaking with Jim Gray in an interview that aired during Westwood One Radio’s Houston Texans-Tampa Bay Buccaneers halftime show Saturday, the New England Patriots quarterback said his elbow is “feeling really good, especially this time of year, going into the 15th game.”
“I think I’ve actually practiced more this year than I have in most of the previous years,” Brady said.
That comment was noteworthy after hearing what Bill Belichick had to say about Brady’s workload earlier this week. The Patriots coach said Tuesday “there have been a couple examples where Tom hasn’t been able to do a lot (in practice) this year,” which has resulted in increased reps for second-string QB Jarrett Stidham and third-stringer Cody Kessler.
Elbow, shoulder, calf and toe injuries have limited Brady in practice this season, according to the Patriots’ injury reports, but he downplayed the severity of those ailments.
“I think some things get blown out of proportion, and every player in the NFL deals with bumps and bruises,” Brady told Gray. “For me, this is one of the better years I’ve been feeling, so I’m really happy about that.”
Brady, whose streak of 10 consecutive Pro Bowl selections came to an end this year, is in the midst of one of the worst statistical seasons of his career. The 42-year-old did not appear on the injury report this week as the Patriots prepared for Saturday’s matchup with the Buffalo Bills, but NFL Media’s Mike Giardi reported he is dealing with a case of “tennis elbow.”
