Tom Brady sits out practice with injured throwing hand
Patriots’ QB skips Thursday’s practice
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — 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 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 to face Jacksonville.
Brady wore a glove on the injured hand during the stretching portion of drills 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. His news conference was postponed until today.
With scant official information about the nature of Brady’s injury, it fell to backup QB Brian Hoyer to address the situation. More than 50 reporters swarmed his locker.
“You guys waiting for Phil?” Hoyer asked wryly, referring to receiver Phillip Dorsett’s adjacent locker.
For the next six minutes Hoyer was asked a half-dozen questions about Brady, a quarterback he has now backed up twice. Hoyer said he didn’t see Brady get hurt and wouldn’t elaborate on how much he’s been able to do the past two days.
Jaguars coach Doug Marrone expects his defense to line up against Brady, not Hoyer, on Sunday.
“I’m sure he can throw left-handed if he has a problem with his right hand,” Marrone said Thursday.
VIKINGS:Safety Andrew Sendejo is working his way back from a concussion that forced him out of the previous game.
Sendejo took part in a limited portion of practice Thursday for the second straight day, after a hit to the head from New Orleans wide receiver Michael Thomas knocked him to the turf and out of the game. The Vikings beat the Saints to advance to the NFC championship game at Philadelphia.
Wide receiver Adam Thielen was also a limited participant at practice Thursday after being held out the day before because of a lower back injury.
EAGLES: It may seem like a cute little thing. Philadelphia players — and by extension many in the city of Philadelphia — trotting around disguised as German shepherds to poke fun at their role as underdogs.
No one believes in them. No one thinks they can win it all.
But the reality is much more intense for the Eagles players, particularly those on defense. There is no canineshaped latex that can mask their emotions over how they are perceived.
“The disrespect just continues,” Pro Bowl defensive tackle Fletcher Cox said of being 3-point underdogs to the Vikings in Sunday’s NFC title game at Lincoln Financial Field. That despite being the top seed in the NFC.
“To have this championship run through the Linc, what more respect do you want?” Cox added. “At the end of the day, respect isn’t given. We have to go out and take it just like we’ve done all year. We’re going to go out and dominate.”
FALCONS: Steve Sarkisian will return as offensive coordinator despite a decline in production in his debut 2017 season.
TITANS: Tennessee kicked off its search for a head coach Thursday with a pair of interviews, both with defensive coordinators who have never been NFL head coaches.
The Titans confirmed they interviewed Houston’s Mike Vrabel and Carolina’s Steve Wilks.
YOUTH FOOTBALL: With increased evidence that repeated hits to the head frequently lead to degenerative brain disease, one of the country’s leading advocacy groups on head trauma has called for the abolition of tackle football until players reach age 14.
Backed by ex-NFL linebackers Harry Carson, Nick Buoniconti and Phil Villapiano, the Concussion Legacy Foundation launched the “Flag Football Under 14” initiative Thursday at a news conference in New York.
“I beg all parents to please don’t let your children play football until high school,” said Buoniconti, a Dolphins Hall of Famer who recently was diagnosed with dementia.