Brady deflects Patriots’ discord queries
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The man everyone was waiting to hear from all week finally strolled up to the podium.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, in the midst of another controversy, deflected in a news conference Thursday when asked multiple questions about an ESPN story that depicted Brady as being celebratory when the team traded former backup Jimmy Garoppolo in October.
“Not to us players, I think,” Brady said when asked if reaction to the article has become a distraction. “We do what we always do and show up to work and try to do the best we can do. There’s a lot at stake, and I think everyone has put a lot into it.
“It doesn’t really matter what happens outside this facility to what we’re trying to accomplish. It’s a big task to win a playoff game and play against a good team in the divisional round and I’m glad we earned the chance to be here. We just have to go take care of business.”
The ESPN story depicted discord among Brady, coach Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft, with a hint that the dysfunction could ultimately bring an end to the trio’s working relationship at some point. As the Patriots gear up for Saturday’s divisional round playoff game against the Tennessee Titans and look to defend their Super Bowl championship, the focus for many outside the organization is on the team’s future beyond this season.
“I think we have a job to do and we know what that job is, and it’s to go out and play football at a high level and play well,” Brady continued. “Nothing really should get in the way of that. That’s what we get paid for, to be a professional and put everything aside and go out there and do the best you can for the team and try to win.”
The article stated that Kraft issued a mandate to Belichick after an hourslong meeting for the coach to trade Garoppolo.
In response to the story on Monday in a conference call, Belichick declined to address what he called the “inaccurate” and “baseless comments.”
Previously in a radio show on Tuesday, Brady called the article’s portrayal of Brady celebrating the Garoppolo trade a “poor characterization.”
The article came at a time when Brady, who turned 40 in August, had endured some recent struggles. In the span from Week 12 to 16, Brady threw six interceptions. Before that stretch, he had thrown two.
This week, Brady’s camp also released a trailer for a documentary that takes a closer look at Brady’s personal life, Tom vs. Time.
“That’s a good question,” Brady said when asked what he hoped viewers would get out of it. “This is about Tennessee. We’re two days out from the biggest game of the year. We’ll see after the Tennessee game.”