TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady has officially thrown out the signature sleeve that he wore on his left knee ever since tearing his ACL in 2008. It was worn Sunday during his first training camp practice. Monday, however, he had it rolled at his shin. It was gone by Tuesday. It has been off his body since then and he doesn't intend to wear it again.It's not necessary for me. It's been 14 year since I started wearing it. It feels good," Brady stated Friday. This is the Bucs' last ramp-up day before pads arrive on Saturday. The intensity level will rise.Brady didn't practice as a Buc without it. It was even worn during his recreational activities, such as boating, pickup basketball, and golf.This offseason, he had surgery to fix a torn MCL that he sustained while playing with the team all year.Brady stated, "It feels great now." It was not my favourite offseason. Since I haven’t had surgery for a while, it is easy to forget about the rehabilitation process. When you have to go through such arduous rehab, it can be a very long and difficult offseason. I was able to spend a lot time with my family. It was great. It was a pleasure to return to work. "I just have to get up and work harder tomorrow."His injury caused him to spend a lot of time on his body and to rehabilitation. This cut into the time he could have spent playing and with his family.Brady stated that Alex [Guerrero] would spend a lot time with me last year -- day in and day out, "Let's tape, take it off' in pregame, practice, tape at 7 a.m., tape at night, trying to stabilize it as much as possible.""I have had many injuries in football. It's normal. They can be managed over the course of a whole year, I believe. I knew what I was dealing. It was all just part of what I was dealing. This year, it was nice to not have to deal.Camp has been a success with the knee not being an issue. Brady has been fully engaged in camp, unlike June's mandatory minicamp where Brady was not allowed to participate in blitz periods due to precautionary reasons. Brady's footwork is still flawless and he seems to be stable when shifting weight and getting into his throws.Wide receiver Mike Evans stated, "I can see the difference." He looks very springy and wet right now."The preseason workload of Brady, which they didn’t have to manage last season because of the pandemic has yet to be determined. Brady stressed that he enjoys playing and wants to get reps with his teammates. They have been impressed by the way he persevered last season.Evans stated, "I knew he was hurt. He was really hurt." "But you know what, he's as tough and as strong as you can get. He was fighting. It was torn, but I didn't realize it. It speaks volumes about how hard he is."Rob Gronkowski, tight end, said that Tom's toughness was "on another level". Sometimes you don't know what he's going through and he just deals with it.He has a strong work ethic and is able to accomplish anything he needs. It's amazing."
