Brady focusing more on his family
QB says absence from offseason activities is unrelated to Belichick
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Tom Brady insists that his extended absence from the New England offseason program had absolutely nothing to do with any differences with Bill Belichick.
No, Brady maintains, it’s personal — not a speculated, perceived or imagined rift with the hard-driving coach who cut his living legend of a quarterback absolutely no slack during this week’s threeday minicamp.
Still, it seems weird. Brady has always been all-in for OTAs, the model Belichick-ian robo-pupil.
“I’ve been here, going on 19 years,” Brady told USA TODAY after the last minicamp practice Thursday at Gillette Stadium. “We’ve had a great run of it. Great experience. I love this place.”
Then Brady, flashing his GQ smile, paused.
“But there are a lot of things that take a back seat to football when it’s football season,” he added. “I’ve got a wife. I’ve got kids. And they’re not getting any younger. I’m trying to make sure I’m there when they need me there. They’re always there when I need them there. So it can’t be a one-way street. You know? It’s got to go both ways.”
Maybe this sounds as if “Tommy” — as supermodel wife Gisele Bündchen is prone to address him — has officially entered a rebellious phase of his career. Or maybe it’s a grumpy old man phase, although he bounced around fluidly and seemingly threw the ball with the same type of zip he had last year and the five years before that.
At this point, though, with those record five Super Bowl wins (plus three Su- per losses), Brady has earned some serious benefit of the doubt. Whatever he’s done in the way of personal training, with guru Alex Guerrero in tow, has worked. With the exception of his fourgame Deflategate suspension in 2016, he hasn’t missed a start since he blew up his knee in the 2008 season opener.
That he’s a father of three is another key stat, right in the mix with age and durability markers.
“I’m going to be 41 this year,” said Bra- dy, whose birthday is Aug. 3. “That has its own challenges. You’ve got to think differently. You’ve got to prepare differently. Still trying to be the best I can, man. That’s why I’m out here.”
Belichick undoubtedly would have preferred to have Brady (and star tight end Rob Gronkowski, who explained that he needed to allow his body to heal as he contemplated retirement) there for the seven weeks of OTAs, too, with so many tweaks to the offense. New England is revamping an O-line that lost blindside protector Nate Solder, working in a first-round running back in Sony Michel and cycling in more veteran receivers in Cordarrelle Patterson, Kenny Britt and Jordan Matthews. And Thursday, ESPN reported reliable slot receiver Julian Edelman, one of Brady’s most trusted targets, is facing a four-game suspension to start the season.
Brady will catch up, especially with Belichick pushing the buttons. Thursday, for the second time in three days, the coach — he reportedly chastised his star quarterback for changing the snap count Tuesday — had the offense run a penalty lap down the length of the field and back.
During a post-practice news conference, Brady hardly seemed fazed by the optics of Belichick getting on his unit’s case. In fact, it sounded as if he read from a Belichick script when assessing the task.
“We have a lot of time to work on (things) literally,” Brady said. “Figuratively, there’s a long way to go. It’s going to be up to us individually to prepare as best we can and then collectively when we come together we do the same.”
Unlike injury-battered Gronkowski, Brady said he never thought about retiring after the Super Bowl LII loss to Philadelphia. Still, he was seen at the end of a behind-the-scenes documentary series maintaining he needed to find the full resolve to keep playing.
It’s safe to assume his resolve is intact. Before heading to the locker room, he reflected on the missed opportunity to beat the Eagles with a patented lastminute comeback. Brady had his shot ... until Philadelphia defensive end Brandon Graham crashed into him to force the game-sealing fumble.
Does that moment still nag at Brady? “Always,” he said. “And all those Super Bowl losses suck. They really do. They live with you for the rest of your life.
“But you’ve got to deal with it.” And in Brady’s case, that includes finding new ways to deal.