Brady’s back
Quarterback feeling ‘great’ as camp gets underway
In what is becoming an annual tradition — call it the state of the quarterback address — Tom Brady spoke with reporters during the first day of training camp yesterday morning at Gillette Stadium, and assured the media that an offseason of jet-setting from Milan to Costa Rica and back again did not hinder the rehab process on the ankle that slowed him in Super Bowl XLII.
“It feels great. The ankle is great,” Brady said after the first session of the year, which took place under the practice bubble at the Dana-Farber Field House, away from the wind and rain that plagued the area much of the day.
After a “great” offseason where Brady spent as much time on TMZ as he did the NFL Network, the starting quarterback segued into a relatively light first session of training camp. In the morning session, he split reps with backups Matt Cassel, Matt Gutierrez and Kevin O’Connell. Brady, who will turn 31 next month, said it’s nothing to be worried about: Instead, it’s part of a concerted effort that’s taken place over the last few seasons to cut down on his throws in training camp.
Between their own work and assisting in various drills, a quarterbacks’ workload during training camp can become an issue if not properly monitored. Think of it as a pitch count for quarterbacks.
“We have a long training camp, and we will have players doing different things on different days,” said Patriots coach Bill Belichick. “Some of that is managed as you go and some of that is the way you start camp. Each player is in their own individual situation, whatever that happens to be. Some guys do more than others, some guys do less, some guys are practicing some guys aren’t, some guys are practicing at different positions and so forth and so on.
“I think Tom did everything he can to be ready for the season. I’d like to think that everyone else did that as well. I think he will be ready to go, but he still has a long way to go too just like everyone else.”
“The goal this year isn’t to see how sore my arm can get,” Brady said. “For me, I don’t think it is important to throw twice a day. I want to make sure the reps I take are good reps. Two practices today is good for arm soreness. Some guys do it, but for me, over the long term it would be beneficial to pace it.”
Entering this season, pacing appears to be key for Brady. The quarterback didn’t “compete” for the No. 1 parking spot — which goes to the players who have the best results in their offseason workouts. While that’s certainly a change for the hypercompetitive quarterback, history indicates Brady knows when to put the pedal to the metal and when to ease off the accelerator. He’s started every game for the Patriots since Week 3 of the 2001 season, a remarkable run for any quarterback.
At the beginning of his ninth season in the NFL, Brady — who told reporters at the start of last year’s camp he felt like he was 22 years old — believes he can keep going for a long time.
“I feel 21,” he said with a grin. “I feel like I’m getting younger. My body feels really good and in great shape. My arm feels good. My mind feels good, most importantly. We’re ready to attack this season and see what we can make of it.”