Report: Tom Brady behind in schedule for return

[Nick]

Report: Brady behind in schedule for return
ESPN.com news services
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Updated: December 29, 5:58 PM ET

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has fallen behind in his recovery efforts from knee surgery and could risk missing next season if another operation is needed, NBCSports.com has reported.

Brady, who underwent surgery Oct. 6 after tearing the ACL and MCL ligaments in his left knee in the first quarter of the team's first game of the season, had subsequent operations on the knee after it became infected.

That infection resulted in a buildup of scar tissue, which may require surgery on the knee, the Web site reported, citing an anonymous NFL source.

The scar tissue also has affected Brady's ability to begin fully rehabilitating his leg, the report said, and the repaired ligaments remain loose. Another surgery also could be needed for that condition, the Web site reported.

The Boston Globe cited league sources and sources close to Brady that dismissed the report. According to the newspaper, the infection appears to have cleared and Brady's rehab is progressing as expected.

Backup quarterback Matt Cassel replaced Brady as the starter and helped lead the Patriots to an 11-win season, but New England fell short of the playoffs when Miami beat the Jets on Sunday to win the AFC East.

[UtterBlitz]

That is interesting. I had heard that NE wanted to pass on Cassel because he would too expensive for them. They may have to reconsider what he is worth now.

[Nick]

That is interesting. I had heard that NE wanted to pass on Cassel because he would too expensive for them. They may have to reconsider what he is worth now.

They'll wait until the last final minute before free agency to see where Brady's at in his rehab, and then if they think they'll need Cassel, they'll franchise tag him. It'll be expensive, but they won't have much of a choice really. They might have to make some moves in order to make room for it, who knows... I don't know what their cap situation is or will look like. Besides, if Brady turns around and makes progress as spring/summer go by, they could always try to deal Cassel for future picks or players.

[jdh008]

I found this bit of news surprising for a couple of reason. For one, I never expected Tom Brady to be one that struggled with rehab. I understand that it is mostly due to an infection that was beyond his control, but it was still a bit strange to hear that he was having trouble coming back. Second of all, it's not very often that you hear of a player actually behind in his rehab from injury. Most rehab projections are conservative enough that players almost always come back on time or ahead of time.