Julian Edelman Says Tom Brady Played Through Injuries Without Publicizing Them at Patriots

When news broke out that Tom Brady had played the entire 2020 season in Tampa Bay on a torn MCL, people were bewildered. He started 16 regular-season games and recorded 40 touchdowns, won his seventh Super Bowl and his fifth Super Bowl MVP at 43. It was almost superhuman for the Buccaneers. But for the Patriots, it was just the Brady they had always known. Just ask his former Pats teammate Julian Edelman, and he will tell you all about it.

The former WR was on ‘The Herd with Colin Cowherd‘ where the host asked him: “When you consider how long Tom played, I’m sure he was banged up from time to time. But one of the biggest injuries he ever suffered was ripping his hand before a game because it got caught in his helmet. I don’t remember Tom getting blindsided very often. Did Tom talk about and practice avoiding the sacks and avoiding injury?” Edelman responded:

“Well, those are the injuries that you knew about. I mean, Tom played through some stuff that I don’t know if that’s legal or not, but there were times where he had a broken foot, and no one knew about it. He played with broken ribs. He just didn’t really publicize it. But I tell you one thing that Tom always did. He always thought about his body. He thought about that in his preparation. He had Alex Guerrero around him 24/7. So if he’s subconsciously thinking about this all the time, it translates into your game there.”

Edelman is right. Brady was durable even when hurt. In fact, he had never missed a game due to injury ever since he became the Patriots’ starter in 2001; that was until 2008, when he missed the season (15 games) due to an ACL tear. In a sport where tackling and taking hits are the norm, it is obvious he played through a lot of injuries:

• Tom Brady played the 2011 postseason while dealing with a separated left shoulder. He got the New England Patriots a Super Bowl appearance.
• The QB also played the final two-plus months of the 2013 season and the playoffs with ligament damage to his throwing hand. That season ended with an AFC Championship loss in Denver.
• In 2018, he defeated the No. 1-ranked Jaguars defense in the AFC Championship Game. He played through a deep gash right under the thumb of his throwing hand, which was described as a collateral ligament sprain. Brady had gotten stitches, and the sutures were removed just minutes before the game began.

What’s interesting is that the last injury from the above list grabbed a lot of media attention. Brady would keep his hand covered with a glove for the two weeks leading up to Super Bowl LII. Rumors spread that he might not play the game. However, HC Bill Belichick dismissed the growing speculations, saying, “We’re not talking about open heart surgery here.” On the other hand, another line of speculation was that the Patriots could be using Brady’s wound as a distraction to their opponents.

Regardless, if you thought the list of injuries Brady played through was done, you would be wrong. I dug through some more history:

• All the way back in 2002, Tom Brady suffered a shoulder injury in Week 15 but played through it. Along the way, he sustained another injury. Yet, he played the 2003 season, won the Super Bowl while experiencing intense shoulder pain, and then went through surgery later.
• Brady played Super Bowl XXXVI just seven days after suffering a knee injury due to a hit by Pittsburgh Steelers’ Lee Flowers.
• He once also suffered an ankle sprain. It was after the 2007 AFC Championship Game that he was seen using a walking boot. Sure, he missed some practice sessions, but he still ended up playing in Super Bowl XLII.
• He also played through a broken finger and three broken ribs in 2009.

Brady’s ex-wife, Gisele Bundchen, shared in 2017 how the QB suffered numerous concussions throughout his career. Considering the position he plays, there is always an inherent risk of harm. But what makes Brady legendary is the fact that after missing out on the 2008 season, from age 32 to 43, he missed zero games because of injury.