BY TOM ROCK
No, it's not broken, the news is.
Here's the Patriots practice report filed by fellow Zell's Angel Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune. Note the line about Brady's ankle not showing up on the injury report. That injury report has yet to be released, but if it does come out and Brady is not on it, it would be the first time in, well, years and years that the QB has been left out. Anyway, the report:
Quarterback Tom Brady's injured ankle was not much of an issue during the Patriots practice Wednesday.
Brady participated in all phases of practice and moved better than he did Monday. He did not have his ankle taped outside of his shoe and he was not limping noticeably. The Patriots did not list Brady's ankle on the injury report.
Asked about how Brady moved, coach Bill Belichick said, "Everybody practiced. They're fine."
Wide Receiver Jabar Gaffney's participation in practice was limited because of a shoulder injury, however.
Though Brady did not appear affected by his ankle, the passing game was a little uneven. Asked about the practice, Belichick said, "I've seen better. There's always things to work on. We have plenty of them."
In a two hour practice at Sun Devil Stadium under sunny skies, the Patriots wore pads for the first time this week. "We tried to get the tempo up a little bit and we did that," Belichick said.
The sideline was more crowded than usual. Former Patriots coach Chuck Fairbanks was in attendance, as were Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Curt Menefee, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, Pam Oliver, Chris Myers and others from the Fox crew.