"I went the whole offseason with a torn MCL" - Tom Brady finally provides injury update ahead of 2022 NFL season

Tom Brady has returned for at least another year as the quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This year, it will be on a newly repaired MCL. The seven-time Super Bowl-winning gunslinger also enters this season with a fallback career in broadcasting all lined up for him.

Brady recently signed a mega deal with FOX for a post-NFL job in the broadcasting booth. He has also spoken about an injury that has plagued him over the past couple of years.

As reported by Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud, Brady has been playing with the injury since his last year with the New England Patriots.

"Last year was pretty tough, just from basically having the MCL reconstruction, and I basically tore it in my last season in New England, and I went the whole offseason with a torn MCL."

He went on:

"I didn't get a reconstruction because I thought it would just heal back. So I didn't do anything. The following year, I just taped it, basically, every day. And then finally getting it reconstructed last year, it felt for the first time this offseason. It's been really good."

The injury didn’t seem to slow Brady down one bit. After winning the Super Bowl with the Buccaneers in 2021, he followed up with an MVP-worthy season that took Tampa Bay to the divisional round, where they narrowly lost to the eventual Super Bowl champions the Los Angeles Rams.

With his now-repaired MCL, it will be interesting to see if the quarterback can maintain his play, or if he will be even better. The Buccaneers aren't anticipating much in the way of competition in their own division, what with the other three teams seemingly in rebuilding mode.

Tom Brady practically guaranteed an easy path to the playoffs

And so it goes for the former Patriot. After spending two decades in the AFC East among three teams that were mediocre most seasons, Brady finds himself among three similar teams in the NFC South, all but guaranteeing another trip to the playoffs.

The Atlanta Falcons traded long-serving quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts and will miss Calvin Ridley for the season due to an ongoing suspension. The Carolina Panthers have questions at the quarterback position and the fitness of superstar running back Christian McCaffrey is an ongoing concern. Rounding out the division are the New Orleans Saints, who will be led by Jameis Winston. Winston is returning from a long-term injury, and wide receiver Michael Thomas has had several injury problems himself.

Furthermore, aside from the Los Angeles Rams and a Green Bay Packers team with no clear number one wide receiver, the Buccaneers most likely won’t face a lot of competition in the NFC as a whole.

Of course, one team will always rise up and surprise everyone. As to who that will be is anyone's guess.