Is Tom Brady skipping OTAs really no big deal?

When Tom Brady decided to spend more time with his family and work out on his own rather than attending organized team activities a year ago, it became a major storyline. He then went out and led the New England Patriots to a sixth Super Bowl win, so you can understand why the narrative is not being discussed nearly as much heading into 2019. Does that mean OTAs are not important?

Brady himself has never said that.

When Brady reported to the Patriots for minicamp last June, he cited personal reasons for skipping OTAs and admitted that the practice sessions are “obviously important for everybody.” His tone was much different from the one we heard in 2013, when Brady attended OTAs and spoke like a man who would never miss them.

“He (Bill Belichick) talks about, you think it’s just an OTA in the spring time and it’s not that important and all those things that probably could enter your mind. The truth is, this lays the foundation for the start of training camp and if you have a good training camp, it usually means a good start to the season,” Brady said in 2013. “A good start to the season leads to good position entering the second half of the season. Everything ends up having some significance to it.”

While the end result was obviously as good as you can ask for, Brady’s 2013 assessment of OTAs seemed to hold true for the Patriots last year. They got off to a 1-2 start, and Brady took six sacks through the first three games. He also threw six interceptions through the first five weeks of the season, which is unheard of for him. It was fair to wonder then if Brady was rusty and would have benefitted from the extra reps with his teammates, and it will be fair to wonder the same this year.

Brady will turn 42 before the start of the 2019 season. While he obviously did enough to lead his team to yet another title last year, his passer rating of 97.7 was his lowest mark since 2014. His 11 interceptions — while still a very good number — were the most he has thrown since 2013. Age could have a lot to do with that, but Brady probably would have told you five years ago that organized practices are as important as ever when your physical skills decline.

Again, the Patriots won the Super Bowl last year. We’re by no means implying that missing a few practices is going to be the difference between a seventh ring and coming up short. Perhaps Brady’s slightly altered training routine will make a major difference, but there’s a reason No. 12 has been the only starting quarterback in football to skip OTAs over the past two years. While there are plenty of things in the NFL offseason more important than May practices, brushing them off is something Brady would have been dead-set against earlier in his career.