" Since Super Bowl XLIII, Tom Brady has played less than one quarter of football. In the past 18 months, that's it.

After 127 straight starts playing a game that has occupied his time since before he can remember, the Patriots quarterback has been out since he tore knee ligaments in the 2008 opener against the Chiefs.

A year's worth of rehabilitation has followed, with Brady appearing to be his old self at practice. Yet if he plays against the Philadelphia Eagles tomorrow night in the first game of the preseason, he may battle some nerves.

"I'm very excitable anyway, but it will be nice to get out there and play," Brady said yesterday. "Butterflies? Maybe. I have a little of those before every game just because you don't know what the outcome is going to be."

The outcome the NFL world wants to know is: Will he play?

"Yeah, I'm ready," said Brady. "(Coach Bill Belichick) told the guys that everybody needs to be ready to play. I'm expecting to play. There's no reason why I wouldn't. I've been out here and doing everything."

Brady spoke emphatically but offered no guarantees. Owner Robert Kraft, talking after announcing his team's partnership with the Massachusetts lottery, was more specific.

"I'll bet you a thousand lottery tickets that (Brady) starts the first game," said Kraft, seeming to refer to the preseason opener.

Brady said he has not yet broached the topic with Belichick. The two may have done so last night.

Belichick refused to give credence to any speculation. When he was asked specifically about whether Brady would play, Belichick only allowed that he'll "do what's best for the football team."

Brady has said he believes his knee injury last season could have been avoided had he received ample time in the exhibition games. The thinking goes that his pocket presence would have been sharp enough to avoid Chiefs defender Bernard Pollard.

Belichick wouldn't entertain that line of thinking, saying, "We'll take each case individually.""