NFL

Tom Brady's Rehab Is Behind Schedule; on Upside, He's Getting Married

Posted Dec 28, 2008 12:05PM By Ryan Wilson (RSS feed)

Filed Under: Patriots, AFC East, NFL Fans, NFL Injuries, NFL Rumors, NFL Free Agency

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Tom Brady's season ended back in Week 1 and he spent the next four months having knee surgery and mustering the courage to ask for his ladyfriend's hand in marriage.

Good news: SHE SAID YES. Bad news: Brady's rehab is behind schedule, which could complicate the Patriots' offseason quarterbackin' plans. Specifically: what to do with Matt Cassel, Brady's backup who has fared surprisingly well as the starter.

NBC.com's Tom Curran has the details on Tommy Terrific's knee:
Brady, who had the ACL and MCL in his left knee ripped in the first quarter of the season's first game, is well behind schedule in coming back from the surgery performed in early October, the source said.

After the infection was detected [in October], Brady went through six weeks of antibiotics and surgical irrigation of the infected area. The infection finally cleared but as it currently stands, both the ACL and MCL remain "loose," the league source said. Meanwhile, scar tissue that built up in the knee as Brady's body battled the infection is still present and might need to be surgically removed.

Additionally, because of the scar tissue, Brady's knee doesn't have close to full mobility, the league source said. That means the process of regaining strength in his quadriceps - the most important muscle to build up after a knee injury - hasn't begun in earnest.
Curran adds that Brady could need another surgery to tighten the ligaments*, and that could cost him the 2009 season. If he doesn't have the second surgery, Brady will probably have to wear a knee brace because "the area will be susceptible to another blowout, the source said."

Which brings us back to Cassel. The Patriots can franchise the former seventh-round pick, an expensive one-year solution. They can try to re-sign him to a short-term deal, an option that Cassel will certainly find unattractive given that he stands to make $6 million-plus this offseason on the open market. The team can also turn the job over to rookie third-rounder Kevin O'Connell. Or they can just hope Brady's magnificence heals his blowed-up knee in time for training camp.

As insane as it sounds, slapping the franchise tag on Cassel seems worth the salary-cap hit. He's grown into a competent NFL QB, and for a team that is annually in the playoff conversation, it's probably worth the cost. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if Bill Belichick cut ties with Cassel and signed Vinny Testaverde and Doug Flutie. Because that's how he rolls. Or something.

* that's a blogger term, not a medical term

Tags: Bill+Belichick, BillBelichick, Doug+Flutie, DougFlutie, Kevin+OConnell, KevinOconnell, Matt+Cassel, MattCassel, Tom+Brady, TomBrady, Vinny+Testaverde, VinnyTestaverde

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