Fan adoration, light practice session highlight Brady’s 40th
FOXBOROUGH, MASS. » Tom Brady was already the oldest player on the Patriots roster before he stepped out on the practice field for training camp Thursday.
He spent the abbreviated workout being constantly reminded he’s now a 40-year-old quarterback.
From a sculpture spelling out “G.O.A.T.” that was erected near the entrance of the practice field gate to multiple chants of his name to sporadic “Happy Birthday” serenades from spectators — everything revolved around No. 12 and his 40th birthday.
“It’s fun. It reminds you that Tom’s old. Very old,” Patriots safety Devin McCourty said. “But I think he has a lot of fun with it. A lot of guys sung ‘Happy Birthday’ in the locker room. But it’s also a reminder of how good he’s been. Forty years old and still our best player.”
With his first start of 2017 Brady will become the 20th quarterback in NFL history to appear in a game at 40 or older.
McCourty has been a member of the Patriots since 2010, and is familiar with the fanfare that trails Brady every Aug. 3. So even with the elevated displays, he said he never expected Brady to make a big deal about turning 40.
“He’s not into birthday parties. So we just do whatever he allows us to do,” McCourty said.
Brady did manage to work up a sweat in front of all the birthday displays.
Notably, he and the rest of the projected first-team offense spent a large portion of the session working on an adjacent field out of view from fans and partially obscured from the media.
They were joined by the starting secondary, though it was unclear exactly what they were doing.
Brady and the others rejoined the rest of the team after about 45 minutes and coach Bill Belichick called the squad to the middle of the field.
After a brief huddle, they formed a horseshoe around Brady and led one final rendition of “Happy Birthday” as fans joined in.
When practice ended, Brady ran over to the bleachers and spent about 10 minutes signing autographs and taking pictures before jogging off the field.
“There’s nowhere else he wants to spend it besides the football field,” tight end Rob Gronkowski said. “But it’s just unbelievable how he’s turning 40 and just where he’s at right now is just unreal.”
Dolphins’ Tannehill reinjures left knee
DAVIE, FLA. » Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill reinjured his left knee in practice when it buckled as he scrambled and fell without being hit.
Tannehill walked slowly off the field accompanied by trainers. He underwent an MRI, but results weren’t definitive regarding the extent of the injury, and further assessment was expected Friday.
“You see your quarterback go down, you think the worst,” tight end MarQueis Gray said. “He’s in all of our prayers, and we hope he’s back on the field.”
Tannehill missed last season’s final four games, including a playoff loss at Pittsburgh, after spraining two ligaments in the same knee. He decided against surgery and took part in all offseason drills.
He was wearing a brace when his knee gave out near the right sideline while running full speed to escape tackle Ndamukong Suh. Tannehill stayed on the ground at least 15 seconds surrounded by teammates before rising and leaving the field.
“I saw him buckle and go down. There was no contact on the play,” offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen said.
Jets rookie Adams sprains ankle
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. » Jamal Adams eased the concerns of the New York Jets and their fans with one simple tweet.
The rookie safety sprained an ankle during practice and coach Todd Bowles said the severity of the injury was not immediately known — although it doesn’t appear serious.
“I’m okay,” Adams wrote on Twitter about an hour after practice concluded. “God is good.”
Bowles said that Adams, the team’s first-round draft pick out of LSU, was hurt during 7-on-7 drills and sat out for the remainder of practice.
Seahawks’ Clark kicked out of practice
RENTON, WASH. » Seattle Seahawks defensive end Frank Clark was tossed from practice after punching teammate Germain Ifedi in the face during a heated skirmish between offensive and defensive linemen.
Clark was sent off for the final half hour of practice after his punch dropped Ifedi to the ground. Ifedi also left practice as he was being attended to by trainers.
“Disappointed we had a couple guys get after it today,” coach Pete Carroll said. “There’s no room for fighting in football. It is not part of this game. It’s not supposed to be part of this game, and we frown upon that very heavily . ... ”