The biggest Patriots-related news of the day – of this week, actually – came to light late Tuesday afternoon, when NBC Sports Boston (formerly CSNNE) reported that Tom Brady sustained a left shoulder injury two games ago and aggravated it last Thursday night in Tampa.
The QB wasn't at Tuesday's practice (although he made a cameo in the locker room during media interview time) and according to that same report, his absence was the result of having to undergo an MRI.
The NBC Sports Boston report added that Brady is not expected to miss any game time at this point, but the fact that he might be ailing at all is still newsworthy – which is why every outlet that covers this team is focusing on that issue today.
ESPN offers a blog post breaking down all the players and positions responsible for the dozens of hits Brady has absorbed this season.
A Boston Herald editorial column declares that something must change for the Patriots to keep Brady healthy.
"This isn't trending in the right direction," the writer asserts. "How many times is he going to maneuver so he goes down on the left shoulder instead of the right? As it is, some of the passes he's thrown have been off target by uncharacteristically wide margins, which suggests some of the pounding may have already taken a toll."
On WEEI.com, one scribe goes further to suggest how the Patriots can better protect Brady on the field.
"Perhaps the offense could call more screens to running backs, as well as wide receivers," he offers in part. "Another solution to improving the offensive line play and thus better protection of Brady is establishing the run more. This will prevent defenses from just attacking Brady and not worrying at all about the running game."
The MassLive blog suggests that New England can manage Brady’s health for the remainder of 2017 by playing his understudy for a while.
"Would the Patriots consider sitting Tom Brady if he is not quite right? The answer is probably not… Brady does not need to be 100 percent, or really that close to 100 percent, in order to play. As long as his right arm is fine, he's good enough to go.
"But this is a long season. It's Week 6. The Pats, for all their flaws, are still one of the better teams in the league. They're eyeing [the playoffs in] January and February, so they must keep the long term in mind when making personnel decisions throughout the year."
Meanwhile, The Boston Globe caught up with WR Julian Edelman, who spoke briefly about his recovery from right knee surgery.
"I'm doing good… Pretty pain free," Edelman said, among other things.
And in the* Sun Chronicle*, TE Dwayne Allen admits he's still struggling to find a role for himself since joining New England this past offseason.
"It's kind of hard, the role that I'm in right now," Allen told reporters Tuesday. "I don't get as many passing opportunities, but that's part of the game. You own up to your role, you embrace it and you continue to get better. It's all about the team winning at the end of the day."
