Brady Scratched From Thursday's Preseason Start After Reportedly Cutting Thumb
BOSTON (CBS) -- We finally have the reason why Tom Brady didn't start Thursday night's preseason game against the Chicago Bears.
According to CSNNE's Tom E Curran, Brady cut his right thumb prior to the game while trying to remove something from his cleat.
"An accident occurred and Tom will be okay in time," Brady's agent Don Yee said in a statement to WBZ-TV.
It's not clear if Brady needed stitches or how severe the cut is, but there is finally some clarity to an otherwise puzzling situation that transpired at Gillette Stadium on Thursday night.
It was reported early in the day that Brady would start the preseason tilt, and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick confirmed "we'll see all three quarterbacks" in a pregame interview with Scott Zolak on 98.5 The Sports Hub (albeit an interview taped roughly an hour before it aired).
So confusion (and controversy!) erupted just a few minutes later when president Jonathan Kraft hopped on the 98.5 The Sports Hub airwaves and said he didn't believe that Brady would play.
Now, we have a clear-cut answer to that conundrum.
Belichick did not elaborate on the situation after New England's 23-22 win over the Bears.
"I made the decision for him not to play tonight," he told reporters.
With New England's final two preseason games on the road, Thursday was Brady's last chance to play at Gillette before he has to serve his four-game suspension to start the regular season. Brady is eligible to return in Week 5 in Cleveland, with his first home game the following weekend on October 16 when the Cincinnati Bengals come to Foxboro.