Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s wife claims that Brady suffered a concussion during the 2016 season. Patriots Radio Network analyst Scott Zolak, appearing on Thursday’s PFT Live, explained that he saw only one hit on Brady that may have resulted in a concussion.
It’s the same play that has gained plenty of attention on social media and elsewhere since Gisele Bundchen made the surprising contention: Super Bowl, fourth quarter, first and 10 from the New England nine, first snap of the drive that would eventually tie the game and send it to overtime.
Brady, after delivering an incomplete pass, was knocked down and into the leg of left tackle Nate Solder. Brady got up a little slowly, and the umpire checked on him briefly. Once Brady was up, he seemed to be OK.
Zolak explained that he always watches Brady when he leaves the field, looking for any indication that Brady may be getting attention from the medical staff and/or whether Jimmy Garoppolo is grabbing his helmet. Zolak also said that Brady has had plenty of injuries over the years (possibly plenty that never were reported) but that Zolak saw nothing in 2016 suggesting that Brady played with a concussion.
Even if Brady possibly had suffered a concussion on the final drive in regulation of Super Bowl LI, who was going to force him to the sideline for a concussion evaluation in that situation? That continues to be the biggest blind spot when it comes to the process of spotting concussions, and there’s no big game bigger than a Super Bowl, especially when the Patriots have a chance to overcome the biggest margin that any team had ever blown.
