Football’s all the focus
Brady to do what he likes best — play
FOXBORO — There was a little bit of everything at Tom Brady’s weekly press conference.
The future Hall of Fame quarterback was asked to reflect on the ACL tear he suffered 10 years ago to the day (“that was a particularly tough one”), for his thoughts on Colin Kaepernick’s Nike ad (he didn’t have any), and for his son’s fantasy football lineup.
“He had Matt Ryan actually, so he was watching with me last night,” Brady said of the NFL’s Thursday night opener.
Of course, Brady was also asked about longtime trainer Alex Guerrero. In his most recent media appearance, Brady ended a WEEI interview following persistent questions regarding Guerrero and his role with the Patriots.
This time, Brady stayed and answered.
“I mean, Alex and I, we work together,” Brady said. “I don’t want to bring on any drama this year. You know, I’m just focused on what I want to do and be a great football player for this team, try to be a good example in the locker room and provide great leadership. That’s where my focus is. I know we want to oftentimes talk about a lot of other things, but I just really want to stick to football.”
Guerrero’s privileges with the Patriots have been expanded this year. He traveled with the team for preseason road games, and he’ll continue to do so in the regular season, according to a source. Guerrero has treated Brady for years, and he’s worked with several other players, too.
Asked if he’s satisfied with the current arrangement between Guerrero and the Pats, Brady said, “Yeah. I mean, I’m a pretty mentally tough guy so I deal with a lot of circumstances over a long period of time — 18, 19 years — and I’m excited for the season. I’m really excited for where we’re at, where we’re going, what we got to do.”
Brady, who wore a “Pliability” T-shirt to his first press conference of the 2018 regular season, wanted to steer the conversation to football.
And the greatest question for the Pats is at wide receiver, especially in September as Julian Edelman serves his four-game suspension. The Pats are the only NFL team with zero receivers that have topped 700 yards in a single season. Brady needs production and consistency from the group of Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett and Cordarrelle Patterson.
“I have confidence in them, certainly,” Brady said. “You know, Phillip and Chris have obviously played a lot. I’ve played a lot with them last year. And Cordarrelle’s new and he’s done some good things. Obviously, it’s the reason why he’s here. He’s a really good player and he’s been productive in the league. To be on this team, you’ve got to be a good football player.”
Brady acknowledged that the transition to New England can be especially difficult for wide receivers.
“I definitely don’t think it’s easy,” Brady said, “and I know that because we’ve had a lot come from a lot of different places and (it’s) a lot of memorization, lot of being on the same page with the quarterback and changing routes at the line of scrimmage, changing routes during the middle of play and you got to be on the same page. So, we try to morph the offense to what we all do a good job at and those things change over the course of the season.”
The Pats will inevitably encounter rough patches as they construct their offense. Brady said the unit will be “learning on the fly” early in the season.
And he’s ready to embrace the challenge.
“I love playing football,” Brady said. “I love being out there and the preparation, what it takes to be a great player. I mean, those things are still very enjoyable for me and there’s no place I’d rather be Sunday afternoon than 1 o’clock, playing here and playing well.”