Tom Brady News: Pro Sports Daily

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February 9

ESPN.com

"With quarterback Tom Brady entering the final year of his contract with the New England Patriots, the sides are expected to negotiate an extension that will likely make him one of the highest paid players in the NFL. The question is when those talks will truly heat up. The presence of a $3 million roster bonus could potentially take negotiations to a higher level. Brady is due the roster bonus on March 5, which is the first official day of the 2010 league year."

Robert Kraft won't talk about a new Tom Brady deal

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February 6

Boston Herald

"Patriots owner Robert Kraft attended yesterday's State of the NFL meeting led by commissioner Roger Goodell, spending time reminiscing that eight years ago the Patriots were celebrating a Super Bowl. Asked if the Pats are poised to return to that elite level, Kraft said, "I hope so. That's the plan." When told that Colts owner Jim Irsay said Manning would be the NFL's highest paid player, Kraft wouldn't discuss a potential deal for quarterback Tom Brady. "I'm not going there," Kraft said. "There's a time and place for that." . . . Patriots running back Fred Taylor admitted his surgically repaired ankle is still not 100 percent. After stopping by radio row yesterday to promote Sprint ..."

Brady must apply pocket pressure to Patriots

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January 27

Boston Globe

"Before Patriots quarterback Tom Brady started playing flag football yesterday with 20 Boston-area kids as part of a charitable promotion sponsored by smartwater, he gathered the children in a huddle at center court of the Tobin Community Center gym and attempted to offer some incentive, beyond catching a pass from an iconic NFL QB, for the first touchdown. "Whoever scores a touchdown gets...we'll have to come up with something," said Brady. Right then one of the children blurted out, "Money.""

Brady's injuries are healing well

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January 26

Boston Globe

"At first, most of the 20 kids playing flag football yesterday at the Tobin Community Center didn't notice when the tall man walked into the gym and ambled to the middle of the court. A few stopped, stared, and staggered toward him, as if compelled by a magnetic force. Slowly, they all realized what was happening: Tom Brady had come to visit them. Brady would rather have postponed the visit to Roxbury by a couple of weeks and been in Foxborough, preparing for a Super Bowl return instead of making a charitable appearance. But the Patriots' first-round playoff loss placed him in the unfamiliar position of spectator and forced him to confront the offseason's issues sooner than he hoped."

Grateful city kids on receiving end

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January 26

Boston Herald

"The Patriots are looking for some receiving help. Too bad Brandon Guerrero wasn't a bit older. The 9-year-old from Dorchester easily pulled in a long Tom Brady bomb yesterday during a flag football session the Patriots quarterback held with a gymful of adoring youth at the Tobin Community Center. Brady made a surprise visit to the Roxbury facility to make a $30,000 donation that benefitted Boston Centers for Youth & Families. He had teamed with smartwater to create the "smartwater zero sack give back" initiative. Smartwater had pledged $5,000 for each game Brady finished without being sacked. So yesterday he dropped in for a visit, talked with the kids, autographed their No. 12 smartwater ..."

Tom Brady tosses around Pats, future key topics

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January 26

Boston Herald

"Two teams are going to the Super Bowl, and Tom Brady doesn't play quarterback for either of them. That fact clearly doesn't sit well with the Patriots quarterback. With a little time to sit back and reflect, and also to watch the games the past few weeks, Brady is well aware how the Pats compare with Super Bowl finalists Indianapolis and New Orleans. He knows the Pats don't measure up. He hopes his teammates also have taken stock of that. "You never want to rationalize a season. But in reality, we didn't deserve (to go to the Super Bowl). We didn't earn it, which (looking at) the teams that are in, they earned it," Brady said yesterday during a charity appearance at the Tobin Community ..."

Tom Brady out of Pro Bowl

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January 20

Boston Herald

"Battered and bruised all season, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has pulled out of the Pro Bowl with an injury. He had struggled with his health in 2009, from his ring finger to his shoulder to his ribs. Brady made his fifth Pro Bowl after throwing for 4,398 yards with 28 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, despite being a regular on the injury report. The Pro Bowl does not say which injury held a player out."

There's a big issue on tap: Wilfork

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January 11

Boston Globe

"As the final seconds ticked off the clock of the Patriots' 33-14 playoff loss to the Ravens yesterday, reality hit nose tackle Vince Wilfork. For six seasons, Wilfork has been a key part of the defensive line. A first-round draft pick out of the University of Miami in 2004, he is facing a career decision. His rookie contract is up and he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent. "As the time ticked off that clock, it kinda dawned on me,'' Wilfork said after a 13-tackle effort. "I told my teammates, the guys I play with on that defense, 'I don't know if this is the last game I play with you or not, but if it is, man, I love you and I'm gonna miss you.' We'll go from here and see ..."

In the end, they're mere mortals

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January 11

Boston Globe

"It was great while it lasted, but even a pigheaded Patriots pigskin buff must acknowledge that the dynasty is over. There was a time, not long ago, when there was a Patriot Way. Now the Patriots have lost their way. They are just another one-and-out playoff team, and not a likable one at that. That black night in the desert in Glendale, Ariz., two years ago? That was it. Since the pursuit of perfection fell short in Super Bowl XLII, the Patriots have been outside the circle of NFL royalty. This is the way the late commissioner Pete Rozelle envisioned things when he pushed for parity at the exclusion of excellence. The once-great Patriots are now first-round playoff fodder."

Long road to recovery

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January 11

Boston Herald

"Maybe it was wishful thinking the ills of the regular season would magically disappear during the playoffs, that the Patriots [team stats] would draw on their glorious past and conjure a winning formula. After all, with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady on the sideline, the assumption is anything can happen. However, yesterday's 33-14 drubbing by the Baltimore Ravens at bone-chilling Gillette Stadium not only makes you wonder how far the Patriots have dropped from their lofty status as three-time Super Bowl winners, but how long it's going to take for them to return to that elite level. "The era is over!" Baltimore receiver and former Patriot Kelley Washington jubilantly shouted as he ran off ..."

Pats QB won't make excuses

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January 11

Boston Herald

columnist Steve Buckley

"He is the quarterback of the decade for the team of the decade. He is married to the model of the decade. Whatever car he drives, chances are it was recently named Motor Trend car of the decade. But it is a bruised Tom Brady - bruised physically, no doubt bruised mentally - who limps off into his offseason sunset. The Patriots season ended disastrously yesterday at Gillette Stadium via a humiliating 33-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. For the quarterback of the decade, it ended with numbers that harken back to the days of Tommy Hodson and Marc Wilson: 23-for-42 passing for 154 yards, with two touchdowns but three interceptions and a lost fumble. Those long, majestic bombs from Brady to ..."

Right now, Brady is in a good place

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January 7

Boston Globe

"He has not lost a game on Route 1 since 2006. That was before Gisele, before Spygate, before Bernard Pollard. Tom Brady is almost perfect at Gillette Stadium. The last time he lost any home game was back when we still took Eric Mangini seriously: Nov. 12, 2006 (Jets 17, Patriots 14). Brady has won 22 straight at the Razor, and he has never lost a playoff game in Foxborough. "We've played really well over the years here, and we've played pretty well in the playoffs, too,'' Brady said yesterday. "And I think we've always played well in the cold weather, because we're all out here practicing every day and we get used to the conditions. The crowd gives us a big boost, no doubt.''"

Tom Brady laughs off referee talk

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January 7

Boston Herald

"Patriots quarterback Tom Brady still regrets asking the officials for roughing the passer penalties during the earlier meeting with the Ravens, but now he can laugh at himself. "Oh, I'm begging for preferential treatment if they'll give it to me," said Brady yesterday, joking with Ravens reporters on a conference call. "I just don't think they'll give it to me all the time. So I'm trying to butter up those officials so we do get a call once in a while. If it helps our team win, I'm all for it." Brady made his remarks while laughing, but Ravens fans may not laugh with him. During the six-point win, two Pats scoring drives were kept alive because of roughing penalties. Former teammate Rodney ..."

Tom Brady out front for playoff push

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January 7

Boston Herald

columnist Ron Borges

"Tom Brady looks at January football at Gillette Stadium the way Sitting Bull looked at Little Big Horn: home-field advantage. Sitting Bull was 1-0 on his home turf, upsetting Gen. George Custer's 7th Cavalry on June 25, 1876, but it was downhill for the Lakota Sioux after that. Brady, on the other hand, is 8-0 at home in January games, the only upset win in that streak being his first victory, the snowy "Tuck Rule" victory against the Oakland Raiders on Jan. 19, 2002, at old Foxboro Stadium. That is the day the first chapter of The Legend was penned and it has continued for Brady's tribe for the better part of the past decade with, he hopes, a new one to be written on Sunday against the ..."

Brady and Patriots Ready for Life Without Welker

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January 7

New York Times

"Tom Brady won the N.F.L.'s Comeback Player of the Year award Wednesday a few hours before Wes Welker went on injured reserve. The intersection of their injuries may determine how far the Patriots go in the playoffs. The quarterback and the receiver are close friends, and their chemistry is an underpinning of the offense. When Welker missed two games earlier this season, the offense sputtered and Brady looked rusty. He was hurried. He was unsure. He was un-Brady. But when Welker played, he led the N.F.L. with 123 receptions, his short routes over the middle providing the defining snapshot of the offense and allowing Brady to slip into the familiar rhythm that bedevils opponents. But with ..."

Brady wins Comeback Player of the Year

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January 6

Boston Globe

"Already a Pro Bowler and the winner of the Ed Block Courage Award, Tom Brady can add another honor to his recent haul. Today, the Associated Press announced that Brady has won its Comeback Player of the Year award. Brady returned this season after a knee injury knocked him out for the season midway through the first quarter of 2008, and he played nearly as well as he ever had."

Brady fully aware of backup plan

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January 5

Boston Globe

"In what is a rarity for him, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady did not speak to the media after Sunday's game at Houston, leaving the impression he was upset at something beyond losing to the Texans. Brady was pulled from the game and replaced by rookie backup Brian Hoyer late in the second quarter and again with 1:47 to play and the Patriots trailing by 7 points. But yesterday in his weekly appearance on WEEI, Brady expressed no displeasure with how Bill Belichick used him."

Brady: Can't replace Welker

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January 4

ESPN.com

"New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady spoke Monday morning for the first time about receiver Wes Welker's knee injury, saying the team "can't replace him" and would have to "evolve a little bit" on offense without its leading receiver. Welker suffered a devastating knee injury while making a cut in the first quarter of Sunday's regular-season-ending loss to the Houston Texans. Initial tests showed he tore both the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his left knee, but he is scheduled to undergo more testing Monday, a source close to the situation told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Should the diagnosis hold up, Welker's season would be over and he would face ..."

Brady dealing with broken finger on throwing hand

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January 4

Boston Globe

"It's been well-known that Tom Brady has spent the last month-plus grinding through injuries. Now specifics are starting to emerge. According to sources close to the team, Brady's been playing with a broken finger on his throwing hand, suffered in practice, since early December."

Now the focus is squarely on Brady and Moss

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January 4

Boston Globe

"It's easy to say that when Wes Welker went down, so did any hopes the Patriots harbored of achieving the kind of playoff success they've become accustomed to. Easy, because it's probably true. According to a league source, it's believed Welker tore his left ACL and MCL yesterday in Houston, blowing out the knee while trying cut on the Reliant Stadium grass on the Patriots' fourth play from scrimmage. He'll undergo more tests today, but it's a near certainty he will require reconstructive surgery, which likely would shelve him for 6-12 months."

A mess in Texas

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January 4

Boston Globe

"At 12:20 p.m. local time yesterday, Wes Welker sat on the Patriots bench and dabbed at his eyes with a white towel. Welker had removed his helmet and replaced it with a backwards cap. Medical personnel surrounded him. Tom Brady was the first teammate to walk over and pat him on the leg. Others followed. "I've seen him look like that before,'' Leland Welker, Wes's father, said from his home in Oklahoma City. "It was always in a losing effort or something like that. It wasn't a good sign.'' A cart wheeled behind Welker, and the trainers loaded him on. The cart drove into the tunnel on the other corner of Reliant Stadium. Welker had left a football field for the final time this season."

Tom Brady silent on game, injuries

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January 4

Boston Herald

"Patriots quarterback Tom Brady dressed in front of his locker, grabbed his bag and walked out swiftly. For the first time all season, Brady exited without taking questions. How did he feel about watching from the sidelines while backup Brian Hoyer trotted onto the field to try to win the game? It wasn't clear after the 34-27 loss to the Texans yesterday at Reliant Stadium. Nor was it evident why coach Bill Belichick chose to play Hoyer instead of Brady at the end. "We really didn't have anything set," Belichick said. "We just went out and played.""

Bernard Pollard gets him again

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January 4

Boston Herald

"It's safe to say Bernard Pollard is Tom Brady's nemesis. It was Pollard, of course, who shredded Brady's knee in Week 1 last season while playing for the Chiefs, knocking the Pats quarterback out for the year. Yesterday, Pollard victimized Brady again, albeit on a much less severe scale. Now playing safety for the Texans, Pollard's late interception of Brady set up Houston's winning touchdown in a 34-27 come-from-behind victory at Reliant Stadium in Houston. Tied with the Texans, 27-27, the Pats faced a second-and-14 from their own 19 with four minutes to go. Brady looked deep down the left sideline for wide receiver Sam Aiken, while Texans All-Pro defensive end Mario Williams was rushing ..."

'D' fails yet again in defeat

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January 4

Boston Herald

"Tom Brady showed up and played, just like he said he would. So did the rest of the Patriots offense, even with a playoff berth sewn up. The offense built a commanding lead, battled through the loss of receiver Wes Welker, and put their defense in position to maintain the momentum they built over the past month. Yet in the 34-27 loss to the Houston Texans inside Reliant Stadium yesterday, the Patriots defense spent their day backpedaling all the way back to the middle of the season. Texans quarterback Matt Schaub and receiver Andre Johnson, the NFL's most productive players at their positions, keyed three touchdowns and 108 yards of offense in the fourth quarter to hand the Patriots a ..."

Pollard, Brady revisit battle of wounded knee

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January 2

Houston Chronicle

"No matter how well strong safety Bernard Pollard plays for the Texans, mention his name and football fans around the country immediately think of New England quarterback Tom Brady. In the first game of the 2008 season, the Patriots played Kansas City. Pollard, playing his third season with the Chiefs, blitzed up the middle. He was blocked to the ground by running back Sammy Morris. On the ground, with Morris all over him, Pollard continued to fight through the block until he was close enough to reach out and get the quarterback. Pollard grabbed Brady's left knee as he threw the ball. The subsequent hit ended Brady's season with torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments. ..."

Randy Moss, Wes Welker may sit

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January 2

Boston Herald

"Patriots coach Bill Belichick officially left open the possibility that receivers Randy Moss and Wes Welker won't play tomorrow, though neither decision would be based on an injury. That quarterback Tom Brady (rib, finger) is listed as probable on the final injury report is no surprise. But it was interesting that Moss and Welker were designated as probable, despite the moves being "not injury related." A player said to be probable has a "virtual certainty" of playing, but the door is open if Belichick decides to rest them. Is Belichick playing mind games or will he decide to rest his star pass-catchers after all? This week, Welker said, "I enjoy playing every week. I look at this week no ..."

Brady wants to play: Sees value in regular-season finale

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January 1

Boston Globe

"The playoff berth is clinched. The last game of the regular season is two days away. Yet Tom Brady isn't interested in rest. He wants to play Sunday against the Texans in Houston, so much so that he shared his thoughts with coach Bill Belichick. Belichick's response, according to Brady: "You'll play. Don't worry about that. You'll be playing.'' While some view this as a chance for the Patriots to get players healthy for the playoffs, Brady declared Sunday's game far from meaningless. If anything, he said, the Patriots are interested in building momentum that could carry over into the postseason. "I think as players we don't factor into any of those decisions that Coach Belichick makes,'' ..."

Tom Brady has plan of action

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January 1

Boston Herald

"Tom Brady has been hearing the questions all week and not just from reporters. "My dad said, 'Are you guys going to play this week?' " the Patriots quarterback said yesterday. "Of course, I want to play. I don't want to lose a game. I don't want them in the offseason to see one of (Houston's) guys and be like, 'Hey, we beat you guys.' Screw that." The Patriots are guaranteed a playoff spot heading into Sunday's game against the Texans. All that's at stake is seeding, with the Pats currently holding the No. 3 position in the AFC. Brady knows coach Bill Belichick makes the call. He asked Belichick whether he would play. Publicly, Belichick said, "Whoever plays, plays." This is what Brady ..."

It's no mas for Jaguars against Moss, Brady

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December 28

Jacksonville Times-Union

"Maybe the best places to play quarterback are the teams on Jacksonville's schedule. New England quarterback Tom Brady certainly tested the theory Sunday by picking apart the Jaguars through the air in his team's 35-7 romp. Brady threw four touchdowns — three to Randy Moss and one to Chris Baker — to become the seventh quarterback this season to connect for two or more TDs against the Jags. The woeful performance continued the all-too familiar theme of hand-in-hand inadequacy between Jacksonville's rush and pass coverage. "They made it look pretty easy," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. Especially Brady, who has now thrown more touchdowns (7) than incompletions (5) in his last two games ..."

Jaguars' Mathis impresses Brady

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December 26

Jacksonville Times-Union

"Because film study seems to be a hot-button issue this week, it's pretty obvious that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is doing his homework. In preparation for Sunday's game between New England and Jacksonville, Brady spent time this week breaking down several components of the Jaguars' defense, especially cornerback Rashean Mathis and new coordinator Mel Tucker. Brady was effusive in his praise of Mathis, calling the interception he made in the Jaguars' win over the New York Jets "incredible." "The guy ran a flag route on him, [Jets quarterback Mark] Sanchez rolled to the left. He was open by about five yards," Brady said. "Sanchez laid it up, and [Mathis] caught up and looked it in over ..."

Tom Brady wins courage award

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December 25

Boston Herald

"Tom Brady called battling adversity "part of the profession." After returning from a season away thanks to major knee surgery, Brady has seen more than his share. This week, his Patriots teammates rewarded him for it. The quarterback was named as his team's Ed Block Courage Award winner, an honor handed out via player vote. Brady, who missed most of last season because of torn knee ligaments sustained in the first quarter of the first game, is back. He put aside early struggles and has led the Patriots to a 9-5 record. His statistics are on par with those early in his career, completing 331-of-513 pass attempts for 3,945 yards, with 24 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions. He's on course ..."

History isn't kind to Jaguars vs. Tom Brady, New England

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December 24

Jacksonville Times-Union

"Their task appears to be daunting. To keep their playoff hopes alive, the Jaguars must win Sunday at New England, where they've never won, and where the Patriots are 7-0 this season. They also must find a way to defeat quarterback Tom Brady, whom they've never beaten. The Patriots also have a history of beating the Jaguars in big games. In fact, if not for the Patriots, the Jaguars' history might look a lot different this decade. The Patriots knocked the Jaguars out of the playoffs in 2005 and 2007, and handed them a December loss in 2006 that helped cost them a playoff berth. In their last meeting in the 2007 playoffs, Brady set playoff records by completing his first 16 passes and 26 of ..."

Tom Brady looking for his offense

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December 24

Boston Herald

"With two games left in the regular season, teams aren't usually searching for an identity. But yesterday, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady admitted he's still trying to find out what his offense is all about. "I think that's probably something we're still working at," Brady said. "We're still trying to find the combinations of things and you know we're a pretty balanced team, I think. We try to run it; we try to throw it. Last week we ran it more than we threw it. Other weeks we've thrown it. I think we're trying to figure out what these other teams, where their weak spots are and attack those. . . . Sometimes it looks good. Sometimes it doesn't look so good, but I think we're still working ..."

For Brady, all routes lead to Welker, Moss

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December 23

Boston Globe

"Tom Brady, in his early years as the Patriots' starter, was consistent when asked which receiver was his favorite. "The open one,'' he would swiftly respond. Has that changed? After the Patriots lost to the Saints, who held Randy Moss and Wes Welker in check, Brady's tune seemed to change."

Patriots cure the road blues

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December 22

Boston Herald

"The black mark on the Patriots resume, one that hung around until the 14th game, has been removed. The Pats won their first true road game, defeating Buffalo 17-10 at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday. That means quarterback Tom Brady finally can be brutally honest about his team having zero wins this season on the road on American soil before Buffalo. No, the rout of Tampa Bay at Wembley Stadium in London doesn't count. "It was pretty embarrassing not to have a road win into the middle of December," Brady said yesterday on WEEI radio. "That's something that I think has been really bothering all of us. A legitimate road win, not including the Tampa game over in London. It was definitely good ..."

Bills' secondary to face major exam

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December 19

Buffalo News

"The Buffalo Bills are ranked fifth in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game. They lead the NFL with 25 interceptions. They have held opposing quarterbacks to a league-low 59.8 passer rating (tied with the New York Jets) and allowed the second-fewest touchdown passes (10). But is the Bills' pass defense that good or are their opponents that bad? We'll find out Sunday. The New England Patriots come to town with one of the most prolific passing attacks in the NFL. They are averaging 293.2 net yards per game, second only to the Indianapolis Colts' average of 296.4. Quarterback Tom Brady, who has come back from a major knee injury, is completing better than 65 percent of his passes and is ..."

Brady tells critical Panthers to back off Moss

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December 14

ESPN.com

"A day after New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss' effort was questioned by Carolina Panthers defensive backs, quarterback Tom Brady rushed to his defense, deflecting the criticism by calling Moss one of his "favorite guys I've ever played with" and saying it's not easy when teams center their defensive game plan around stopping an individual like Moss. "He's one of the top receivers in the league right now," Brady said in an interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI on Monday morning. "He is up there in yards and catches and touchdowns. Every game plan that the defense comes up with is trying to stop Randy Moss. ... It's not like they don't have respect for him when their game ..."

Brady completes his quest

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December 14

Boston Globe

"Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said last week that he owed it to his teammates to be back at Gillette Stadium preparing for yesterday's matchup against Carolina. Less than 24 hours after his second son was born, Brady showed up for team meetings in what would become the most controversial week the team has faced this season, as four players were sent home Wednesday for arriving late. After losing three of their last four for the first time since 2002, Brady viewed yesterday's game as a chance to get back on track. He challenged his teammates after the 22-21 loss to Miami last Sunday to finish games and to increase their focus during the week."

Old-school Tom Brady manages to do job

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December 14

Boston Herald

"Yesterday's game against Carolina was a vintage Tom Brady performance. No, not a vintage 2007, record-breaking Tom Brady passing performance. Rather, it was reminiscent of the days when Brady was known as a game-manager who did enough to find a way to win. The Patriots didn't light up the scoreboard on a rainy day at Gillette Stadium, but they did manage to grind out a 20-10 win, putting a halt on a two-game losing streak. Brady's numbers weren't superlative (19-for-32, 192 yards, touchdown, interception), but he was able to lead his team to victory. "We're kind of a grind-it-out team," Brady said. "That's what it looks like to me, so it's what we need here in the last quarter of the ..."

Pats facing combustible situation

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December 13

Boston Herald

columnist Karen Guregian

"Last week, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady called out the team for a lack of fight and full commitment to winning. Wide receiver Wes Welker challenged teammates to look in the mirror and see if they were giving all it takes to win games, week in and week out. Patriots coach Bill Belichick sent his own message, telling team captain Randy Moss, Adalius Thomas, Derrick Burgess and Gary Guyton to turn around and go home after all four showed up late for Wednesday's team meeting, the most critical session of each week. Belichick refused to cut anyone slack for the inclement weather and long traffic delays. If players aren't going to do their jobs, if they're not going to be fully committed to ..."

Don't blame it on Tom Brady

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December 13

Boston Herald

"It is amazing sometimes the lengths some people will go to avoid the obvious. The Patriots enter today's game with the toothless Carolina Panthers 7-5 and in free fall. They have lost two straight for the first time since 2006 and three of the last four for the first time since 2002. They remain the leader in the AFC East, but now by a single game with four to play. Naturally, the local populace and some in the media are up in arms and looking for answers. So where do some of them look? Do they look at a defense lacerated by the pass? One that ranks 28th in sacks per pass play and has allowed 21 touchdown passes (worse than all but five teams in football)? Do they remark that in the Pats' ..."

Brady Gets Back to Work

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December 13

Yahoo! Sports

"Patriots QB Tom Brady returned to practice on Friday after missing the previous two sessions with right finger, right shoulder and rib injuries. Brady was listed as questionable on the injury report for Sunday's game against the Panthers. Brady went to the locker room with an arm injury early in last week's loss to the Dolphins but didn't miss a play and finished 19 for 29 for 352 yards and two touchdowns. …"

Brady's status up in the air

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December 12

Boston Globe

"In the hoopla this week surrounding players showing up late for meetings and getting sent home, the Patriots have been busy monitoring injuries affecting quarterback Tom Brady. Brady missed two practices and had limited participation yesterday with rib, right shoulder, and right finger injuries. Officially, he is questionable for tomorrow's game against Carolina, which means there is a 50-50 chance he will play. Before the injury report was released yesterday, Brady was caught at his locker and said he is "fine.'' He later added, "Don't worry about me.''"

Brady listed as questionable for Sunday

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December 12

Boston Herald

"You saw him leave the sidelines during last Sunday's game in Miami to attend to an undisclosed injury. You saw him miss two days of practice this week while nursing a swollen ring finger and a newly disclosed rib ailment. Yet Patriots quarterback Tom Brady returned to practice on a limited basis yesterday, then later offered a message. "I'm fine," Brady said. "I always hope I'm going to be fine. Don't worry about me." The fact that Brady sat out workouts on Wednesday and Thursday - the two most important preparation days - may not ease anyone's fears. He played through pain against the Dolphins, but he also struggled in the second half and threw two interceptions."

Tom Brady's bruises piling up

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December 11

Boston Herald

"Ailing Patriots quarterback Tom Brady needs protection from his offensive line more than ever. Brady missed his second consecutive practice yesterday, as the team officially added "rib" to his lengthening list of injuries. Suddenly, Brady's status is something to look for as his team prepares for Sunday's game against the Panthers. Brady also has a bruised right ring finger that limited him against the Dolphins, along with his ever-present (and faux) right shoulder issue. The finger problem - Brady injured it in practice a week ago - led to intrigue before the loss to the Dolphins. Asked about the finger Wednesday, Brady said it was "hanging in there." Coach Bill Belichick downplayed such ..."

Brady not at start of practice

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December 10

ESPN.com

"Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who had tape on his right ring finger in the locker room, was not present for the start of practice Thursday. Brady also didn't practice Wednesday, although it was unclear if his absence was related to his injury. Brady and wife Gisele Bundchen had their first child -- a boy -- Tuesday. Brady was added to the Patriots' injury report last Friday with a finger injury. He was listed as probable because he was a virtual certainty to play against the Dolphins."

Tom Brady has fightin' words

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December 8

Boston Herald

columnist Karen Gurgian

"Tom Brady doesn't think his team fights very hard at times. In what we have learned about Bill Belichick-coached teams and what we know about the so-called "Patriot Way," Brady could not have slapped his teammates with a more condemnable statement. If he said they weren't good enough, it wouldn't have cut as deep. Instead, he said, "I don't think we fight very hard," following Sunday's 22-21 loss in Miami - words he didn't back off during his weekly appearance on WEEI yesterday - which showed something must be drastically wrong. Some message must not be getting across or else the 2009 Patriots are flawed in a way that's toughest to remedy. When Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, Mike Vrabel, ..."

Brady to Patriots: "We need to put in more time"

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December 8

NFL.com

"Following consecutive losses for the first time since midway through the 2006 season, Patriots QB Tom Brady has come as close as he ever has to calling out his teammates. The Patriots fell 22-21 to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, and at 7-5, their lead in the AFC East over the Dolphins and Jets was shaved to one game. During his postgame comments, Brady called out his teammates after watching the Patriots lose leads of 14-0 and 21-10, saying "at times I don't think we fight very hard." Brady had an opportunity to back off that comment Monday. He didn't. During his weekly appearance on WEEI, Brady said the Patriots need more commitment in their preparation. "I've been here 10 years, and I've ..."

Dolphins rebound, frustrate Brady in win

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December 7

Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

"Tom Brady looked like a child lost in the mall for once. He wore a blue sweater, high-end jeans and the three-day stubble right off the GQ cover, as you'd expect. But as he tried to explain to the cameras and recorders and the bright lights what went wrong for him, how his final six possessions were four punts and two interceptions, it seemed like 20 years melted away from his face. He looked down. He talked softly. "Frustrating," was the word the New England quarterback kept coming back to. The loss was "frustrating to all of us," he said. The inability to finish drives was the "frustrating part." And that final, game-ending interception? He shook his head. "It's frustrating,'' he said. ..."

Chances dry up in second half for Patriots' Wes Welker

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December 7

Miami Herald

"Wes Welker came up big on a day when the New England Patriots weren't at their best or healthiest. With Tom Brady banged up from a finger injury and Randy Moss held to just two catches, the former Dolphin totaled 10 receptions for 167 yards. It was his seventh outing of at least eight catches in his past eight games. Aside from causing damage on his usual slot routes, Welker also burned Miami deep, hauling in a 58-yard pass from Brady late in the second quarter that put New England on the Dolphins' 15 yard-line. ``Any time you get a 58-yard play, you definitely want more of that,'' Welker said of the big play. ``But, overall, we didn't finish the drive, so in the end it doesn't really ..."