All eyes are on Brady as he nurses hand injury

FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts — Tom Brady hasn’t missed many starts during his 18-year NFL career, and no one sounds too worried that he’ll be sidelined for Sunday’s AFC championship game.

Nonetheless, after Brady sat out the Patriots’ practice on Thursday — and did not speak to reporters as scheduled — there was plenty of speculation about the 40-year-old quarterback’s health. Brady sat out with a right-hand injury after being limited by the same issue a day earlier as New England prepares for its matchup with Jacksonville.

Brady wore a glove on the injured hand during the stretching portion of practice that was open to reporters. He usually wears a glove only on his non-throwing hand. He was listed as a non-participant on the injury report, and his news conference was postponed until today.

With scant official information about the nature of Brady’s injury, it fell to backup quarterback Brian Hoyer to address the situation. More than 50 reporters swarmed his locker as he walked through the locker-room, and after stepping into the training room, Hoyer returned to find the assembled group.

“You guys waiting for Phil?” Hoyer asked wryly, referring to receiver Phillip Dorsett’s adjacent locker.

For the next six minutes he was asked a half-dozen questions about Brady, a quarterback he has now backed up twice.

“I’m always preparing to play, because the truth of reality is you never know when your name’s gonna be called,” he said.

Jaguars coach Doug Marrone expects his defence to line up against Brady, not Hoyer, on Sunday.

“I’m sure he can throw lefthanded if he has a problem with his right hand, and throw it just as well,” Marrone said Thursday.