Tom Brady may have broken news that Matt Cassel is starting for the Vikings

The New England Patriots are the most stubborn team in the NFL when it comes to providing information about injuries. Bill Belichick infuriates writers and reporters with his refusal to give progress updates, thus leaving them with nothing to write about. So what do you do when you’re on a team with a coach that doesn’t allow you to talk about your bumps and bruises? Talk about other people’s, of course.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder suffered a rib injury during a loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. His status for this weekend’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers is uncertain. Tom Brady may have cleared it up for us on Wednesday.

Tom Brady was talking about his backup quarterbacks, and said "Matt Cassel, who may be starting this weekend …" Ponder has a rib injury.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) September 25, 2013

Brady was discussing the performance of his former backup, Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer, when he brought up Matt Cassel. Cassel is Ponder’s backup in Minnesota, so there’s a good chance he told Brady he’s expecting to get the start this weekend.

The Patriots may be good for nothing when it comes to injury information about their own team, but don’t ever say they’re useless.