For His 41st Birthday Present, Tom Brady Gets A Day Of Rest
By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
And on the third day, Tom Brady rested.
The Patriots took the field for their eighth training camp practice on Friday, Brady’s first as a 41-year-old. But unfortunately for the many fans in attendance, who repeatedly sang “Happy Birthday” for No. 12, they didn’t get to see the four-time Super Bowl MVP make a single throw. One of his “gifts” on Friday? Zero snaps in competitive team drills.
Brian Hoyer got the vast majority of the reps with the first team offense, and he had an up and down day. For every nice connection he made with a receiver, he sailed a throw high or threw an interception. All the while, Brady relaxed on the sidelines.
It felt like a de facto day off for some of the Patriots’ veterans in general. Rob Gronkowski also had a light day, as did safety Devin McCourty. The vets did not, however, get to skip the hill runs at the very end of practice.
It’s not unprecedented for Brady to rest on his birthday. As noted by Tom Brady hasn’t thrown a pass today and appears to be getting a veteran day off. He also got a day off on his 40th birthday. And the Patriots didn’t even practice on his 38th birthday. Aside from throwing 25 passes on his 39th, this has become a regular occurrence of late.
So, nothing out of the ordinary for Brady or the team. A little break for the now-41-year-old, who figures to get right back to it on Saturday.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.
