Brady had been listed as questionable

Updated: December 13, 2009, 5:24 PM ET
By Mike Reiss | ESPNBoston.com

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- After missing two practices earlier in the week and being listed as questionable to play, banged up New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady started Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers. Brady was listed as having injuries to his right shoulder, a finger on his right hand and his ribs.

Season timeline of Brady's injuries

Thursday, Sept. 10: Appears on first participation/injury report of the season. Right shoulder. He is listed as probable each week, with full participation in practice, throughout Week 13.

Friday, Dec. 4: For the first time, an additional injury is added next to Brady's name -- his finger.

Sunday, Dec. 6: A close-up CBS camera shot during the Patriots' game at the Dolphins shows bruising near the nail of Brady's right ring finger.

Sunday, Dec. 6: As he throws a 58-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss in the first quarter, Brady takes a big hit from Dolphins DL Randy Starks and OLB Joey Porter. He immediately heads to the locker room under his own power.

Sunday, Dec. 6: Brady doesn't miss any action. After the game, he is asked why he headed to the locker room and says: "I needed to come in and get some stuff taken care of; I'm not going to tell you guys [specifics]."

Wednesday, Dec. 9: Brady misses his first practice of the season. It is unclear if it is injury-related (right shoulder/right finger) or because of the birth of his son the day before.

Thursday, Dec. 10: Brady misses his second practice of the season. On the team's participation report later that day, the Patriots disclose a new injury for Brady -- his ribs.

Friday, Dec. 11: Brady at practice for first time all week. Listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Panthers with injuries to his right shoulder, finger on his right hand, and ribs.

The Patriots did not designate a third quarterback on Sunday's inactive list, which further confirms New England's confidence in Brady's ability to play.

The rib injury was added to the injury report for the first time Thursday.

Asked Friday if he had any concern that Brady might not be ready for Sunday's game, coach Bill Belichick said: "I'm sure that Tom will do what he always does, which is do everything he possibly can to be as ready as he can be for the game. I'm sure he'll do that. And he has done that. We'll put him on the injury report and see where things are at Sunday."

In Sunday's 22-21 loss to the Miami Dolphins, Brady retreated to the locker room after taking a big hit on a 58-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss in the first quarter. Brady, who didn't miss any snaps, did not say what he had been treated for in the locker room.

The Panthers will be without injured veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme for Sunday's game. Delhomme also missed last week's game with a broken finger on his right hand.

Brady's right finger injury was added to the report last week and was a hot topic before Sunday's game against the Dolphins. Brady finished 19-of-29 for 352 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the game.

Asked Wednesday if the Patriots changed what they did offensively against the Dolphins to compensate for Brady's right finger injury, Belichick said: "We didn't change much. You saw the first drive of the game [which ended with a 58-yard touchdown bomb to Moss]. The plays we had, we ran. There weren't really any changes."

Brady and his wife, Gisele Bundchen, welcomed a baby boy on Tuesday.

Mike Reiss covers the Patriots for ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter.

Mike Reiss

Patriots reporter, ESPNBoston.com
  • Covered Patriots since 1997
  • Blogging on Pats since 2004
  • Joined ESPNBoston.com in 2009

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