Tom Brady took the practice field on Friday wearing a red glove on his throwing hand once again, and New England Patriots fans are starting to worry that something could be seriously wrong with their star quarterback. As far as Bart Scott is concerned, the hand issue may be nothing more than another “phantom injury” for the four-time Super Bowl MVP.
In an interview with “The DA Show” on CBS Sports Radio this week, Scott wondered out loud if Brady is milking his injury in advance of the AFC Championship Game.
“Brady always seems to have an injury around a big game,” Scott said. “I think that’s like a built-in excuse. It looked like he has maybe the splint on the thumb. So I don’t know if he maybe was throwing a pass and hit his thumb. But if it is his thumb, that is a cause for concern.”
Scott acknowledged numerous times that Brady could have a real problem if the injury is to his thumb, but the former Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets linebacker clearly has his doubts about the severity.
“I mean, before it was the Achilles and it’s this and that,” Scott added. “Every year during the big game, it always seems to be an injury or a phantom injury or his shoulder was messed up and we just left it off the scouting report and things like that. I don’t know. But I know if it is the thumb and he has to wear a glove, that’s going to be an indication that it was a legitimate injury.”
We all know how much the Patriots like playing mind games with their opponents, but Brady did not throw a single pass in practice on Thursday. If he didn’t have an actual injury, there’s no way he would sacrifice preparation time just to play it up.
Like anyone else, Brady has dealt with nagging injuries in the past. It makes sense that they pop up later in the season, as most players deal with bumps and bruises late in the year. If you remember, Brady acknowledged that he was battling an ankle injury before the New York Giants ruined New England’s perfect season nearly a decade ago.
The Patriots are intentionally keeping Brady’s status close to the vest, but the reports we have heard make it seem like the hand injury could be an issue.
