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Don't be so obtuse for a moment. Brady had surgery in February 2021 after the Super Bowl. He rehabbed the knee that off-season. It was widely reported as a "torn MCL" including by Ian Rapoport, SI and others. Brady called it "pretty serious." The Bucs organization acknowledged the injury. Arians talked about it. I'm not speculating.
Plenty of players get surgery. As Dr. Chao said:
Brady has earned hyperbole for his career, but not for this injury. I don’t doubt his MCL was injured and he needed surgery, but the lay person narrative of “completely torn” and “heroic” does not fit the medical facts.
If his MCL was completely torn and unstable, how did he take a boat ride with just a knee sleeve that does not have metal support? Brady always wears an ACL brace on that left lead leg and that does provide MCL stability. However, the soft neoprene sleeve he wore during his celebratory boat rides does not provide stability. The inevitable swaying that occurs on a boat would test his lateral knee stability. Brady’s MCL would have been stressed as he lateralled the Lombardi. His actions do not fit the narrative of a “completely torn” and unstable knee.
In my experience as an NFL head team physician, there is no way anyone could play with a complete (grade 3) MCL tear.
The only source you're citing, David Chao, is speculating. He did not examine Brady, or review any imaging of the knee, or review the medical record, or consult with the surgeon, or speak directly with Brady or anyone from the Bucs organization. Chao is merely speculating while also ignoring or dismissing multiple sources who contradict his speculation.
He's been right way more than he is wrong.
You just can't fathom Brady played an entire season with a serious knee injury because he beat your team the Chiefs on one leg and he's not an injury fraud like Mahomes. Philip Rivers played with a torn ACL in 2007, some players are tough.
Rivers played one game on a torn ACL. No way he can go through an entire season with that injury. Brady played two seasons on the so-called "fully torn MCL."
And remember the time Mahomes won a super bowl on a high ankle sprain when Brady couldn't in 2007 against the Giants with that same injury?
Logan Mankins played a whole season with a torn ACL, so I don't give a feck what Dr. Chao says.
Logan Mankins explains how he played entire season with torn ACL.
Mankins didn't have to run like skilled players do. Again Brady was running around JUST FINE when he got to Tampa. Besides according to that link, Mankins said the pain just went away after a few weeks. So in other words, it didn't bother him. It was very clear that whatever knee issue Brady had it was not causing him this great deal of pain and discomfort. He was RUNNING on that bad knee.












