The legend of Tom Brady continues to grow. This time, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback impressed by playing the entirety of last season with a torn medial collateral ligaments in his left knee, according to multiple sources. That season ended with 43-year-old Brady hoisting up the Lombardi Trophy and being named Super Bowl MVP.
Brady mentioned having knee issues at the end of last season, but never went into detail on the severity of the injury, saying only it was “pretty serious.” Months later, the Tampa Bay Times reported that the quarterback needed to have surgery for a partially torn MCL. Then, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that Brady’s MCL was actually fully torn.
Brady suffered the injury in 2019 during his final season with the Patriots. It continued to get worse throughout last season in Tampa Bay, according to the report.
Brady had surgery in February to repair his MCL, right after the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl. This injury was on the same knee as the torn ACL he suffered 2008, which knocked him out of the entire season.
“I don’t think he was 100 percent last year,” Buccaneers QBs coach Clyde Christensen said, remembering a conversation he had with Brady the day after the Super Bowl. “His quote, or close to a quote was, ‘Hey, I’m gonna get my knee fixed up and I’m gonna be better next year and you’re gonna be excited about that.'”
The injury and ensuing surgery hasn’t held Brady back as of recent. He competed in The Match, a charity golf outing, in early July and has been posting training videos to social media.
Brady threw for 4,633 yards and 40 touchdowns last season. The seven-time Super Bowl champion is entering his 22nd season in 2021.
