Brady happy to be back

FOXBOROUGH -- Patriots quarterback Tom Brady addressed the local media in a team setting today for the first time since he suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee on Sept. 7, saying he feels "as good as I could possibly feel."

Participating in the Patriots' organized team activity session for the third straight day, Brady, who was wearing a brace on the knee underneath his sweatpants, provided the most extended look at his recovery and health since the injury and his most extensive comments, talking for nearly 24 minutes.

Like his play in the practice, Brady's comments were a little guarded. He didn't make any proclamations or predictions about his status or the 2009 seasons.

Brady was asked if he still has limitations on his knee, which was operated on back on Oct. 6.

"I feel as good as I could possibly feel," he said. "I don't think about it. It doesn't bother me doing anything, so it's feeling really good. That's about as good as I can say. I'm real happy with where I'm at and coming out in these workouts I'm happy to participate in them. That was something that was a big goal for me to be able to do."

Brady said the brace on his knee, which was noticeable under baggy sweatpants, is not a big deal for him.

"No, you don't really notice it," said Brady, who did three-step, five-step, and seven-step drops. "I mean I'd rather not wear it, but [trainer] Jim [Whalen] is forcing me to wear it, so I got to listen to him."

Brady was critical of his performance during the sessions. He was uncharacteristically off-target on a few passes during 11-on-11 drills and said he was a little rusty.

"At this point the throwing is not the problem at all," he said. "It's just getting back to the football activities, which I'm doing the football activities not for my leg, but more for the rest of me.

"My body feels really good. My arm feels good. I'm not completing as many passes as I want, but we haven't been out here very long. I think it's just about getting better every day. If you can do that and make continuous improvements then over the course of weeks, of months I'll be a better player."

Brady was asked what if anything could stop him at this point from being ready for the season-opener at home against Buffalo on Sept. 14.

"You know anything that could stop anybody," he said. "There are a lot of things that could happen in two months. I got to drive home this afternoon in Boston traffic. You never know what could happen. Knock on wood, please. We're out here preparing. I don't anticipate anything, and I hope there is not. We'll deal with something if something does [crop up], lightning striking. I don't know."

He was also asked how confident he was that he would be the same player he was before the injury.

"We'll see. We'll see," he said. "Like I said, talk is cheap. I could sit here and tell you guys I'm going to play until I'm 80, but that doesn't matter. I'm going to go do the best I can do, and I'm going to try to be the best leader and the best teammate and supporter of the guys on my team. That's something that I've always enjoyed doing. Like I said, I'm grateful to have that chance and to be out here today. I can't wait to get out and start playing games."

Brady downplayed the post-surgical infection that delayed the start of his rehab, saying it had little effect on him.

"Part of surgery and rehab is you have setbacks and you just deal with them," Brady said. "It doesn't always go how you plan it. Life doesn't always go how you plan it and it's a matter of dealing with it and understanding what do I have to do to get on the right track. It didn't really set me back for very long, just long enough to keep me from really hurting myself."

One benefit of Brady's time off was that he got to spend more time with his family. He briefly addressed that.

"I'm a very optimistic person. I cherish those moments,'" he said. "There have been great things happening in my life for a long time. This year was no different in different areas of success with marriage and with children and it's a great part of my life and so is work. So, I'm excited for all of those things coming together. I think I'm a happier person when I'm working."

More from Brady:

On the loss of Josh McDaniels:
"Josh and I had a great relationship. That's part of the NFL, things change every year and there are 13 new head coaches, and he's one of them. I hope that we find ways to move on without him. We've already started that process. It doesn't stop for anybody around here. You leave and someone else fills your spot and they're anxious for the opportunity. We have to work hard to get up to speed on everything and the coaches that are in that role are doing that."

On the day of the injury
"I really don't think about it. I've never really thought about it. I've never really focused on it. I think I felt bad for myself that night, and I think I moved on after that. Since then it's about trying to get better. Since it happened there is nothing you can do and you have to find ways to move on. Like I said I'm grateful to be out here, to have the chance to come out here and play is something that I've always wanted to do my entire life, and I've had the opportunity to do for nine years and I'm at it again for my 10th.

"So, I can't wait...Randy jokes that he wishes this were training camp, and in a lot of ways I think we feel the same way. We're going to put the work in, and we want to get back to doing what we love to do."

On his comments in SI about this being the halftime of his career:
"Well, I think we all have goals we set for ourselves and how long we want to play, and fortunately for quarterbacks you can play for a long time because you don't get hit that often. I hope I have the opportunity to play for a long time. I think when you sit on the sideline for an entire year you realize how much you love it, not that you need that to happen to be grateful to play, but you experience things in a much different way, a way I've never experienced [them] as an athlete. I love being out here. I love participating and being around these guys. We're working for some big goals that we set."

On confronting his athletic mortality:
"The reality is that in this sport any day could be your last day in football. I mean you come out, and it's a very physical game and I think you're just grateful for having a chance to compete and practice and be on a team and having a great job. I think all that stuff we're very happy about and happy to participate in. I don't think about the end too often. Hopefully, this is still relatively in the early part of my career. You'll have to talk with me in a few years."