Tom Brady Played Through A Concussion Last Year, Gisele Bundchen Says

The Patriots quarterback did not miss any games for a concussion, but his wife says he suffered one.
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New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had concussion during the 2016 NFL season, his wife, Gisele Bundchen, revealed on “CBS This Morning” Wednesday.

“I just have to say, as a wife, I’m a little bit — as you know, it’s not the most like — let’s say, (it’s) an aggressive sport. Football, like he had a concussion last year,” Bundchen said after CBS host Charlie Rose asked her if she worried about Brady’s health on the football field. “I mean, he has concussions pretty much every ― I mean, we don’t talk about ― but he does have concussions.”

After missing the first four games of the season because of his Deflategate suspension, Brady didn’t miss any time last year. That means if he did suffer a concussion during the season, he either didn’t tell the Patriots or the team didn’t report it.

The Score’s David Wood tweeted that Brady hasn’t appeared on the injury report for a concussion in at least the past four years.

Under NFL rules, players who are suspected of having a concussion during games are supposed to undergo a sideline evaluation, and further tests can be administered in the locker room afterward. Any player who has a concussion enters the league’s concussion protocol, a five-step process for returning to play. There is no set timeline for when a player who enters the protocol can return to the field.

Under changes adopted before the 2016 season, NFL teams can face fines or the loss of draft picks if they don’t remove players with concussion from the field. The Miami Dolphins were warned for violating the protocol during the NFL playoffs, but the team wasn’t fined or penalized.

Neither the Patriots nor Brady, through his agent, immediately responded to requests for comment. An NFL spokesperson also did not immediately respond either.

The NFL for years has faced criticism over its handling of concussions, even after adopting the protocols. And if Brady indeed suffered a head injury that went unreported ― either by him or the Patriots ― it points to issues with the rules, as concussions continue to get ignored or totally missed.

Brady, who turns 40 in August, has said he wants to continue playing football until his mid-40s. But Bundchen may have other ideas.

“I don’t think it’s a healthy thing for your body to go through like — you know, to that kind of aggression all the time,” she told CBS Wednesday morning. “That cannot be healthy for you, right? I mean I plan on having him be healthy and do a lot of fun things when we’re like 100, I hope.”

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