Tom Brady will start AFC title game despite hand injury, but will it affect him?
Tom Brady, as expected, will start Sunday’s AFC championship game against the Jacksonville Jaguars despite injuring his throwing hand during practice on Wednesday, according to various reports Sunday morning.
The New England Patriots had listed Brady as questionable, but there was never a chance he’d miss the game.
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There are, according to reports, questions about whether the hand injury will affect Brady, but the Boston Globe cited a source who said the Patriots are expecting their quarterback to play without “any major problems.”
Ed Werder tweeted that the Pats “don’t expect [the injury] to be a significant factor.”
Tom Brady will be monitored in pregame warmups, but the Patriots seem to have have minimal concern about the cut on his passing hand that required stitches. The laceration is in palm of hand, near base of thumb. They don’t expect it to be a significant factor in QB’s performance.
— Ed Werder (@EdwerderRFA) January 21, 2018
Brady suffered the injury in practice Wednesday. His right hand collided with teammate Rex Burkhead, and sustained a cut, per reports. He reportedly underwent a precautionary X-ray, which game back negative, but received stitches to the hand. He then wore gloves on both hands the rest of the week.
Because it’s Brady, the glove became a massive, blown-out-of-proportion story. Brady even had some fun with it, wearing gloves to his Friday news conference, at which he refused to say anything of substance.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter last night, Brady will “probably” wear a glove on his throwing hand to protect the stitches in his hand.
Tom Brady, in the words of one source, “probably will wear the glove (Sunday) just to protect the stitches,” though the QB has not indicated whether he has decided to wear it.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 21, 2018
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday, however, that Brady could try to play without the glove:
#Patriots QB Tom Brady hopes to play without a glove. That decision may hinge on the weather. One source said if it's warm enough, Brady will ditch the glove. Cold weather, perhaps in the 30s, may necessitate a glove on his throwing hand.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 21, 2018
As of Sunday morning, it was 37 degrees and sunny in Foxborough, where the Patriots and Jaguars kick off at 3:05 p.m. ET. Rapoport also tweeted that Brady took half his reps at Friday’s practice without a glove:
#Patriots QB Tom Brady, who will play today vs. the #Jaguars, made half of his throws on Friday without a glove, sources say, despite several stitches. One source described him as "ripping it." In other words, Brady looked great and ready.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 21, 2018
Brady, in typical Brady fashion, arrived at Gillette Stadium knowing his right hand would be the subject of all kinds of frenzied interest. So, naturally, he didn’t take it out of his pocket:
Tom Brady, right hand in pocket, arrives at 9:35 a.m. ET. pic.twitter.com/euC2eX7z6A
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) January 21, 2018
ESPN’s Dianna Russini tweeted that Brady often holds his bag with his right hand. On Sunday morning, with cameras on him, the bag was over his left shoulder.