Bill Sikes/AP
- Two days after Tom Brady injured his right hand colliding with a teammate, he wore gloves to his press conference and would not answer questions about the injury.
- Brady missed Thursday practice with the hand injury and was seen wearing gloves on Thursday, too.
- The NFL world has no idea if the Patriots are being cautious with Brady, messing with everyone, or actually concerned about the injury.
Tom Brady’s hand injury is either more serious than anyone realizes, or the New England Patriots are teasing the NFL world.
On Friday, Brady addressed reporters for the first time since reportedly colliding with a teammate on Wednesday and injuring his right hand. In the days since, Brady has twice canceled his media availability, missed Thursday practice, and been seen wearing gloves on his hands.
So, with very little known about his hand injury, Brady showed up to media availability on Friday wearing gloves on both hands and refusing to talk about the injury.
“I’m not talking about it,” Brady said when he asked about his hand injury.
When asked if he would play on Sunday, he said, “We’ll see.”
Asked if he practiced on Friday, Brady said he was “out there” and called the practice “fun.”
Again, this could be the Patriots exercising caution with their quarterback before the AFC Championship game, and perhaps having fun with the growing curiosity. Perhaps they even want to put the Jacksonville Jaguars on edge.
There is also some cause for concern. ESPN’s Diana Russini noted on Thursday that Patriots players would not reveal who ran into Brady. While that could be to protect that player from fan and media backlash, it’s worth noting that if Brady’s hand injury wasn’t serious, then there would be no backlash to worry about.
Additionally, Bill Belichick isn’t one for distractions, particularly before a big game, and Brady’s hand has become something of a distraction.
On Friday, Belichick was asked if Brady would play on Sunday and only answered, “It’s Friday.”
Brady’s teammates seemed to provide more answers, however. Wide receiver Danny Amendola and running back Dion Lewis both said they caught balls from Brady on Friday and that he practiced normally.
The chances of Brady not playing with the Super Bowl on the line are slim. The real concern would be over his grip and ability to throw the ball if there is any lingering issue with his hand. Against the Jaguars’ league-best defense, a less-than-100% Brady could be trouble.
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