Tom Brady claims his elbow injury is behind him now

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said in a recent interview that any lingering effects of his elbow injury won’t be a problem moving forward.

New England Patriots fans worried about Tom Brady can breathe a bit of a sigh of relief finally.

While the 42-year-old quarterback is still no lock to return to the team in 2020 after his current deal expires, at least his ailing right elbow appears to be healing up nicely just in time for the Patriots’ 2019 playoff run.

During his weekly interview with Westwood One’s Jim Gray, Brady downplayed any lingering negative effects of the injury, and insisted that he feels about as good as he possibly can feel this time of year after having already played in 15 regular season games of NFL action.

Here’s what Brady said exactly regarding the elbow injury, via SB Nation’s Bernd Buchmasser:

"“No, it won’t be an issue going forward. I just got hit on it a few times and any time you get hit with helmets and bones, sometimes they get a little banged up. I really try and take good care of myself. I certainly can’t imagine feeling any better than I do right now going into the last week of the year. I am excited for what is ahead for our team. I am excited for what we can accomplish. We have to take care of business this week first. Then, we will get a chance if we win to take a deep breath and evaluate where we’re at and what we need to do moving forward. But physically I feel great and nobody is better than Alex Guerrero, who I work with and has been my body coach and one of my best friends.”"

Let’s break down all of that, one segment at a time.

First and foremost (and most importantly), Brady claims the elbow “won’t be an issue going forward.” We’ll have to see if that is indeed the case, as he’s appeared on the team’s injury report on more than one occasion during the regular season – though seldom on the final report before the actual game.

Brady was, however, not listed on the injury report for New England heading into the Buffalo game. He also arguably played his finest game of the season against the Bills as well – which leads one to wonder just how much he may have been bothered by the ailment in previous appearances during the middle part of the Patriots’ season.

Secondly, Brady says he “can’t imagine feeling any better than (he does) right now.” That should be music to the ears of every Bostonian, who obviously keep close tabs on any and all news regarding their middle-aged future Hall of Famer.

Thirdly and finally, it sounds as if the Patriots are ready to take on the Miami Dolphins this week in their regular season finale. Both the team and their leader (Brady) seem to understand the stakes of this game, and the importance of securing a first-round bye and some much-needed time for rest and rehabilitation before the playoffs begin.