Brady has both ACL and MCL tears

Surgery expected in about a month

September 11, 2008|Shira Springer, Globe Staff

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady suffered torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee last Sunday, NFL sources confirmed yesterday.

Medical tests on the knee, including an MRI performed Monday, indicated no damage to other ligaments, and no torn cartilage. In cases like this, doctors typically wait for the MCL to heal, then reconstruct the ACL. Brady will likely undergo surgery in approximately one month and face 6-9 months of recovery and rehabilitation, barring complications.

After coach Bill Belichick announced Monday that Brady would miss the rest of the season, the team released a statement that did not provide details of Brady's injury. Speculation and educated guesses pointed toward an ACL tear, considering the ACL is the most commonly injured knee ligament.

Athletes typically sustain damage to the ACL and MCL when there is a direct hit to the outside of the knee, as there was when Kansas City safety Bernard Pollard hit Brady during the first quarter of the Patriots' 17-10 win at Gillette Stadium.

On the Patriots' 15th offensive snap of the game, Brady, who had completed 6 of his first 10 passes, dropped back to pass on first and 10 from the Kansas City 42-yard line. Pollard blitzed, but was picked up and blocked to the ground by Patriots running back Sammy Morris. As Brady stepped into what would be his 11th and final pass of the season - a 28-yard completion to Randy Moss - Pollard made a desperation dive at Brady's legs, his shoulder clipping the quarterback's knee.

Brady screamed, fell to the ground, and immediately clutched his knee to his chest. He lay on the turf as Patriots team physician Thomas Gill and trainer Jim Whalen examined the injured leg. Brady limped off the field with help from Gill and Whalen, heading directly to the locker room with 7 minutes 27 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Teammates who have text-messaged or spoken with Brady say the 2007 NFL MVP has been keeping a positive attitude as he prepares for surgery and the long rehabilitation ahead. Moss confirmed that Brady was at Gillette Stadium with his teammates yesterday.

"He's still upbeat," said Moss. "You would expect the guy to really be down. I think he was more down on Sunday. But just having a few conversations, a few text messages, he's still positive. That's what you can hope for in a guy like Tom.