Tom Brady back at Gillette, talks to Peter King about Patriots chances
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is back at Gillette Stadium today as the Pats gear up for the start of training camp, according to a source close to WEEI. After a tumultuous offseason thanks to Aaron Hernandez, injury concerns surrounding Rob Gronkowski, and turnover and uncertainty at the wide receiver position, the 2013 season could prove to be Brady’s finest yet. It sure isn’t going to be easy, but he is backed up by a strong running game, an excellent offensive line, and the rookie receivers have plenty of potential.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady rolls out to pass at the practice field during Minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
The 36-year-old also spoke with Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, who launched the highly-anticipated, all-NFL site on SI called The MMQB (named after his weekly columns that are a staple for many NFL fans).
Brady said, “We’ve had our chances. Twice. More than twice, actually. I still have plenty of chances to do it. What I’ve learned is it’s really, really hard to win the Super Bowl. I didn’t get that perspective early, winning three out of the first four years I played. What I like about this franchise is we’ve got a shot every year. I love the fact we were in the AFC title game last year, the Super Bowl the year before that, and 14-2 the year before that. Can we win this year? It’ll be determined by our level of commitment, the mental toughness. We’ll find it out before the season. How committed are we?”
“We’ve got a shot ever year.” If you’ve ever forgotten that, then this is a friendly reminder from Tom Brady that the New England Patriots are in the hunt to win it all every single year that he’s the quarterback. And the thing is, it’s not just about him either. You can’t forget that the Patriots have one of the best defenses against the run in the league, along with the aforementioned offensive lines and running games. The defensive backs and pass rush look improved as well, and that makes up for some uncertainty at wide receiver.