Brady testy over trainer
Tom Brady was not in a holiday mood Friday.
Brady didn’t want to answer any questions about his personal trainer, Alex Guerrero, who has been banned from the Patriots sidelines and team plane by coach Bill Belichick this week, according to the Boston Globe.
Brady, who said he hasn’t thought about not having Guerrero on the sidelines, turned downright Grinchy when a reporter asked him about his reaction to Belichick’s ban, according to an ESPN report.
When asked if the Globe report was factually correct, Brady said: “I don’t really agree with your question, so I don’t know what you’re talking about. How do you know what he said?”
Brady added about Belichick: “Well, I have a lot of conversations with him. Those are private between he and I. I don’t think anyone knows what we talk about. Certainly I’ve never talked about it. He’s never talked about it.”
Belichick said earlier Friday that his relationship with Brady was fine.
“He’s great to work with. Nobody is more prepared than Tom,” Belichick said, according to ESPN. “Tom is always ready to go, always on top of it. He really takes coaching well. He has a lot of good ideas.”
FLAG TOSSER SPEAKS: Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters says he chose to throw an officials’ flag in frustration during a loss to the New York Jets, so he had nobody to blame but himself for the resulting one-game suspension.
The Pro Bowl alternate spoke to reporters Friday for the first time since the incident three weeks ago, a full 2 minutes in which he also professed his affinity for cognac and plan to beat Miami on Sunday so Chiefs fans can “go home and put out the cookies and milk for Santa.”
Peters missed the Chiefs’ win over Oakland ago while serving coach Andy Reid’s suspension, but returned last week against the Chargers to pick off two passes and force a fumble in a 30-13 victory. The win left the Chiefs needing only to beat the Dolphins to win the AFC West.
SEAHAWKS’ WAGNER TO PLAY: Linebacker Bobby Wagner practiced on Friday and will play when the Seattle Seahawks face the Dallas Cowboys despite a lingering hamstring problem.
Seattle coach Pete Carroll said Wagner is ahead of where he was last week when he did not practice at all and was a game-time decision against the Rams.
Seattle listed just three players as questionable for the mustwin game against the Cowboys: safety Bradley McDougald, defensive end Frank Clark and tight end Nick Vannett. Carroll said McDougald — who has been starting with Kam Chancellor out — would play. Clark was full participant all week until Friday when he was limited with a toe injury.
Carroll also said there is a chance cornerback DeShawn Shead will be activated from the physically unable to perform list. Shead suffered a major knee injury in the playoffs last January.
JAGS TO MISS LEE: The Jacksonville Jaguars will be without leading receiver Marqise Lee and could be missing wideout Allen Hurns again at San Francisco on Sunday.
Lee, who has 56 receptions for 702 yards, was ruled out Friday because of a sprained right ankle. He rolled his ankle in the first quarter against Houston last week and missed practice all week.
Hurns returned to practice this week for the first time since Week 10 but was limited all three days. He’s second on the team with 36 receptions. After missing the last five games, Hurns was listed as questionable on the injury report.
Receiver Larry Pinkard remains in the NFL’s concussion program and was ruled out. Linebacker Lerentee McCray is questionable with a neck injury.
COOPER BACK TO PRACTICE: Cooper returned to practice on a limited basis Friday after sitting out last week’s loss to Dallas with a sprained left ankle. He got hurt against Kansas City the previous week while blocking during a running play.
It was the same ankle that Cooper injured two weeks earlier against Denver, when he also suffered a concussion after colliding with Denver safety Darian Stewart.
The two-time Pro Bowler broke a month-long silence when he spoke with reporters and sounded optimistic about his chances of playing this weekend in Philadelphia.
“I just want to have two good games,” Cooper said. “It’s been frustrating in that regard. Obviously, you want to be out there and play. This is my job, you know what I’m saying?”