Buccaneers Give Key Update on Tom Brady's Injury

Getty Tom Brady continues to be the gold standard of NFL quarterbacks.

Aside from tossing the Lombardi Trophy across boats, Tom Brady’s offseason has also been full of rehab as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback had knee surgery. Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht declined to specify whether Brady will be ready for offseason workouts, but described the quarterback’s rehab as “going very well.”

“I know he’s doing well through rehab,” Licht noted during a recent press conference. “I talked to him last week. I know things are going well. I don’t want to put an exact timeline on it right now, because I don’t want to set expectations one way or the other. But I know that things are going very well.”

Brady’s knee injury remains a bit of a mystery as it was not something that was made public during the season. Bucs head coach Bruce Arians described Brady’s procedure as a “cleanup,” but The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin reported the quarterback’s injury may have been more severe than the team revealed.

“A four-month recovery sure doesn’t sound like a ‘cleanup’ procedure,” Volin noted. “One of Brady’s friends told me after the Super Bowl that Brady’s knee was more injured than people realized. ‘When it comes out, all this does is build his legend even greater,’ the friend said.”

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Brady on Knee Rehab: It’s ‘Giving Me Something to Do’

During an interview with James Corden on The Late Late Show, Brady described the challenges as a player when the season abruptly ends. Brady admitted his rehab is “giving me something to do.”

“We had some time where we spent some time with my wife and kids, and then I actually had knee surgery, so I’m kind of rehabbing now, which is giving me something to do, although I’d much rather be kind of staying active like I normally do,” Brady said, per Tampa Bay Times.

Arians Estimated That Brady Would Be Back on the Field in June

Earlier this offseason, Arians indicated Brady should be able to do some on-field work in June. The Buccaneers coach did not sound concerned if his rehab takes longer given Brady’s resume.

“I think he’s probably looking [at] somewhere around June, right now, from what I hear,” Arians detailed in February, per ESPN’s Jenna Laine. “His leadership — he doesn’t have to be out there throwing it anymore. He can be there standing and coach the s— out of them. Wherever they meet and work out — I’m hoping we have an offseason for the younger players. Tom doesn’t need it, but for the younger players — first-, second- and third-year players — we’ve missed two years of player development with where we’re at now. We don’t need to miss another one.”

Back in March, a video of Brady throwing the football with former soccer star David Beckham went viral. Brady appears to be walking gingerly with a sizable brace on his left knee. So far, there are no indications that Brady would be forced to miss any time heading into next season.