New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was very notably absent from Wednesday's practice, but anyone sensing doom over a potential shoulder injury can exhale. It seems Brady will be just fine.
On the Patriots' official practice report, Brady was reported absent for "non-injury related" reasons.Â
Brady, who was selected to his seventh Pro Bowl this week, landed hard on his left, non-throwing shoulder late during last Saturday's comeback win over the Miami Dolphins. But it appears that play and his absence Wednesday aren't related.Â
Comcast SportsNet New England reported Brady had an X-ray on the shoulder to check for a separation but later was told he was "all set." Brady held his weekly news conference Wednesday, but wasn't asked about his shoulder.
Brady addressed the play on which he was hit Monday during his weekly radio segment with WEEI-AM in Boston.
"I was just caught in between two guys," Brady said, via the Boston Herald. "There was a guy coming on my left and a guy coming on my right. It was kind of a critical point in the game. I got out of the pocket. Because I'm not out of the pocket very much, it's hard for me to make good decisions because I don't get to practice it very often. Quarterbacking is about making good decisions. One of those is whether to slide or whether to go shoulders-first toward the first-down marker. I just kind of got caught in between a little bit."
Patriots left guard Logan Mankins (knee) and right tackle Sebastian Vollmer (back, foot) also missed practice Wednesday.
