First things first: Tom Brady will play in Super Bowl XLII.
Sorry, Giants fans.
"I'd have to be on a stretcher to miss this one," he said on his weekly radio spot Monday morning.
Though no one was wheeling the league's MVP around the streets of the West Village on a gurney, he was spotted there on Monday wearing what appeared to be a walking boot. The cast-like boot on his right foot was there to help what has been reported as a minor high ankle sprain. Brady will have two weeks of rest before playing again in Glendale, Ariz., on Feb. 3.
As the man perched atop Esquire magazine's "Best Dressed" list in 2007, Brady's wardrobe undergoes a lot of scrutiny. Now, as he prepares for his fourth Super Bowl appearance, his footwear has become a lightning rod and the early centerpiece of the first of two hype weeks.
Whether Brady will be at full strength against the Giants is clearly a legitimate question. And though it's not one the Patriots are likely to answer - they will not be required to release an injury report until a week from today - the boot was clearly more medicinal than fashion-minded. A video of Brady walking with a slight limp was posted on TMZ.com. He did not appear to be limping in Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Chargers, although he did throw three interceptions and was sacked twice.
Adding to the speculation and, likely, quelling the fears of all of New England, are photographs of Brady from later on Monday evening when he and his girlfriend, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, were spotted at the Manhattan club Butter. Brady wore black shoes and no boot at that point. There were also photographs taken of Brady yesterday, walking with neither the boot nor a noticeable limp. While reporters tried to ask him questions, Brady was nimble enough to scurry past without answering.
"Anybody who thinks a little tweak is going to stop him is just wasting ink," Tom Brady Sr., told 1050 ESPN Radio in New York yesterday. The quarterback's father, however, said he and he his son had not even discussed an injury.
Brady has started 126 consecutive games in the regular and postseason, but he does have a history of playoff ankle injuries. In the 2001 season, Brady sprained his ankle in the AFC Championship Game against the Steelers and had to be replaced by Drew Bledsoe. He was able to return for the Super Bowl that year and was named MVP for leading the Pats to an upset over the heavily favored Rams.
Again - sorry, Giants fans.
While it's not clear when or how this injury occurred (presumably during Sunday's game), Brady did give a tacit confirmation during that weekly radio appearance that he had suffered a leg injury.
"There's always bumps and bruises," he said. "There will be treatment this week. In games like this, you get a little nicked up. It's nothing serious."
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