More from Tom Brady
ALLSTON -- The first question Brady was asked was about his knee.
 Tom Brady tossed a football at a charity event today in Allston. (Globe Staff Photo / Mike Reiss) |
Brady was asked if he had a setback.
“I think initially I said there was,” Brady responded. “Since then, there has been nothing. Just working hard on my rehab. There is not much to say when you’re not playing. I’m just trying to focus on what I need to focus on – get stronger, and mentally stronger, so I can go out and try to perform as best as I can next year.”
Brady was then asked if he was throwing at this point.
“Oh yeah,” he said.
Brady was asked if he could forecast if he’ll be ready for minicamps, training camps or the home opener.
“You know, Bill never likes us to forecast anything. It’s like me asking you guys ‘are you going to be doing your job in eight months?’ Yeah, you certainly think so. There is no reason why I shouldn’t,” he said.
“It’s just a matter of getting to that time. I wish it was right around the corner. I wish it was here now. It’s not, but the competitor in me has to sit back and wait and continue to work and try to get stronger. We have to build a foundation as a team. There have been a lot of changes. Along with guys who have had surgery and are improving, there are coaches there who have to learn our system. There are a lot of things that have to take place.”
Brady was asked what he is able to do as part of his rehab.
“I’m doing everything,” he answered. “I’m playing quarterback, that’s what I’m doing … I’m doing everything. I’m golfing.”
After saying that, Brady was then asked by a reporter that he has no reason to believe that there have been any setbacks that wouldn’t have him ready to go.
“There is nothing, no, there is nothing that I’ve experienced or been through that would lead me to believe [that],” he said. “This is just a normal rehab process.”
Brady was then asked a hypothetical – if training camp were to start today, would he be ready to go?
“I’d be ready, but I don’t know if my trainer would [feel that way],” Brady said. “I was out there working out yesterday with him, and he feels great, and I feel great. I was out there with Billy O’Brien, our quarterback coach, and we’re doing our work. It’s hard to say – I’ve never been through injured, I’ve never been through anything like this. But it’s those things that happen. You play long enough in this game, you get injured, you focus on your rehab, and you move on. There are a lot of guys on this team who have surgery – or you don’t have surgery but you’re dinged up and need other types of rehab. You just go forward as best you can.”
Brady was then asked about Matt Cassel.
“Matt and I, we’re great friends. I actually worked out with him on Sunday, he’s doing great," Brady said. "He’s a great person, a great player, I’m lucky to have him as a teammate and I wish we could play together for our entire careers. We’re great friends. He did an incredible job.”
Brady was asked about how much fear he had initially when he first learned that his surgically repaired knee had an infection.
“Well, it’s unexpected, so like a lot of things in life that are unexpected, I listened to it, I made the decisions we had to make, and we moved forward,” he said. “I did the best I could do, and people that helped me through this entire process did everything they could do. I’m never one to dwell on bad news. We lose a game, I move on. I get hurt – you get hurt two minutes into the season, and everybody moves on – that’s the way it is. That’s part of this game, you have to be mentally tough and you have to understand that this is part of your profession, part of the environment we’re in. I’m looking forward to getting out there playing – I think that’s what I enjoy most. The training part is fun, but at the same time, the playing part is the best. That’s what I miss the most.”
Brady was asked if he is now married.
“I said may – maybe, maybe not,” he responded. “No, all those reports are, unfortunately, not true. I’m in a great spot in my life. I have a lot of people that care about me and that I love, and love being around. My girlfriend is certainly one of them.”
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Brady is the man! Glad to hear he's already throwing and it's still 8 months till opening day. Seems like Matt Cassel will almost definitely be moved....good luck to him! Go Pats!
Umm, hello? Cassel is the franchise quarterback now, not Brady. (See the franchise tag for details) I don't think people care what the second-string QB is doing right now, nevermind the fact that the Pats are going to unload Brady during the draft for a 3rd and 4th rounder. Please give some updates on what Cassel has been up to during the off season!
Belichick wouldn't let Brady speak this much if the rehab was going badly.
I believe it when I hear it from TFB.
I love Brady as much as the next person but I'm telling you his girlfriend is a bonafide JINX to him.! 1st Brady gets hurt in 2007and obviously wasn't himself in the playoffs.Then that year they lose the Super Bowl and now he get's really injured in 2008 in the 1st quarter of the 1st game.It might be time for Brady to throw Giselle to the wolves!!Come on Tom Patriots fans need you!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ms. Ryan, please do a little homework before posting on here again. I am sure you are smarter than that last comment
Why is Brady being so open about this? If I were him I would keep quiet because he is jeopordizing the trade value of Cassel. If teams realize Brady is ready for the opener, they will know the Pats have to trade Cassel to avoid the cap hit of $29 million on 2 quarterbacks. Therefore, teams will offer less compensation for him knowing that they hold the leverage in the trade. If Brady were smart he'd leave everyone guessing so that when they do trade Cassel the team will get top notch compensation for him, which in turn benifits the team & Brady. I can't believe Belichick is allowing this! I'm glad he is ok though.
Jackie, you're just trying to be provocative, very stupid, or shared the bong with Phelps. Brady's #1, Cassel is a very good player and person, but he's trade bait and gone the first day of the draft. Nuff said about that.
I think we could get the 20th pick from the Lions for Cassel and another pick this or next year...exciting to know we'll probably have two 1st round picks this year....grab another stud LB and CB maybe, and Guard or Tackle in the 2nd Rd I say. Everyone makes out well, the Patriots and Cassel gets his big pay day.
Jackie Ryan - until Cassel gets himself a girlfriend as hot as Gisele, there's no argument about who the Pats #1 is!!
Joe, I understand your point, be believe me, the NFL knows Brady will be back, regardless of the games they could play saying his not ready yadda yadda. Tom is running around, practicing, playing golf, and the NFL knows that whether he mentions it in an interview or not. The Lions, KC, Minn. etc. need a good QB and they all know Cassel will be traded draft day...Pats can't pay him $14M and Brady $11M....everyone knows that. So I understand your comment, but it's not a big deal, the NFL teams interested in Cassel know where Brady is with his rehab...period. Guys get paid lots of money to investigate that stuff, and a few rare comments in an interview pale in comparison to what NFL insiders already know.
You people are all sick. This is great news!!! One the best QBs ever to play the game is on track to return for next season. If you believe Cassel is the franchise QB b/c the franchise tag was put on him, Brady living a normal life by having a gf (he had her during the entire 2007 season buddy), or conspiracy theories that affect trade value for Cassel are all legitimate things here....please go root for another team.
Go Pats and Brady in 2009!!!
Trade Cassel. It doesn't matter if Brady is not ready for the opening game, we already got O'Connell, who looked a lot better than Cassel in the last preseason (playing with non-starters). With a 3rd round pick invested on him last year, I feel he is ready to go. BTW, he is going to be Brady's backup in the future.
Just because a franchise tag is placed on a player doesn't make that player the starter. Study up on the game and come back when you have it figured out. TB is BACK!!!
Well, hello all Patriot fans..... To me, it's simple. Tom Brady will be ready for the opener and Matt Cassel will be traded for a first round pic and perhaps a third. with that said, all the Pats need to focus on this season is the defense. Corner backs and linebackers. perhaps some big guys on both sides of the line and maybe a tight end. GO PATRIOTS! SEE YOU GUYS IN MIAMI FOR THE SUPER BOWL BABY!!!
Jackie, please see the franchise tag for details as you suggest. Its been said before but I'll reiterate. This designation is not a label of somebody being THE FRANCHISE but rather a method for a team to create assurances that they are given the opportunity to retain a player who is offered a tempting free-agent deal, or at least receive something in return if the player is allowed to leave. I know it goes deeper than that as others will surely point out, but that's the basics. The tag in no way indicates who is a starter, nor does it imply that Matt Cassell will be on the pats roster in 2009 in any way shape or form.
while I don't usually feed or respond to trolls, I have to give Jackie Ryan props. Reeled 6 of you in to a response.
I'm mostly interested in what this super positive press conference does to Cassel's trade value. For each time Brady discusses positive progress, it gives the impression that they need Cassel less and less...thus lowering his value, but making it easier to trade him. Hopefully there'll be more than one suitor to keep that value up.
Everybody around the league, here is by far the best quarterback!!
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