Even with an injured right shoulder, Tom Brady [stats] wanted to return for the third quarter of Friday night’s 27-24 win over the Redskins, Patriots [team stats] coach Bill Belichick said yesterday.
Brady didn’t come back because of what Belichick called “a football decision to play other players.” The coach did not otherwise provide any substantial updates on Brady’s ailment.
As a precaution, Brady is expected to sit out the final preseason game against the Giants, giving him 16 full days of rest before the season opener. That way, the coaches can evaluate his backups.
The quarterback, who missed almost all of last season because of a knee injury, was not available for interviews afterward. Belichick would not say whether Brady had X-rays or an MRI done, though it is believed that he did.
“I’m not comfortable getting into a public diagnosis of anything,” Belichick said. “Look, we played a physical game against a very physical team. I’m sure at the end of the game a lot of guys were sore and had bumps and bruises. That’s pretty normal after a game like that.”
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