Quarterback Tom Brady is back with the Patriots and on track to make his 2016 regular season debut against the Browns this weekend.
During a Monday night interview with Jim Gray on Westwood One, Brady said it was great to be back in the building with the team and that he’s excited to get back to practicing while doing his best to keep the conversation moving away from issues having to do with Deflategate.
“I’m not really looking to reflect at this point,” Brady said. “I’ve put that in the rearview mirror when I decided a while ago. I am looking forward to playing and doing what I love to do and being out there with my teammates who have done such a great job and I want to do a great job for them. I’m just focused on the present and focused on this week. That is what I am going to be all season long, it served me well in the past and hopefully it serves me well this week.”
Brady’s vow to keep his focus on the here and now extended to his answer about whether he’d be using the suspension as motivation over the rest of the season.
“I was motivated 17 years ago and I am motivated today,” Brady said. “I’m motivated to win for my teammates. I am motivated to go out there and represent our city well.”
There are no shortage of people who believe that Brady and the Patriots will be looking to put the hammer down on the rest of the league in response to the suspension and overall Deflategate punishments. That tends to be their approach under any circumstances, though, so the Browns should probably be bracing for a big shot from New England regardless of what’s motivating them to go for a big number.