Bill Belichick on Tom Brady: ‘I made the decision for him not to play tonight’

Brady was absent from Thursday's game.

Bill Belichick was terse when asked about Tom Brady after Thursday's preseason game. Charles Krupa/AP

August 19, 2016

1 minute to read

Bill Belichick didn’t go into depth when asked about Tom Brady’s absence for the Patriots’ 23-22 win over the Bears Thursday.

Prior to the game, Brady reportedly cut his thumb with scissors while trying to pry something loose off the bottom of his cleat. He did not join the team on the field for Thursday’s game, and was seen leaving Gillette Stadium roughly an hour before kickoff. Belichick was asked about that report following the game.

“I made the decision for him not to play tonight,” Belichick said.

Brady’s absence came after multiple reports by The Boston Herald and CSNNE.com that the 16-year veteran quarterback would play during the preseason game. On Thursday night before the game, Brady posted on Facebook with a caption: “Who’s ready for some Patriots football tonight?!?!“

Less than an hour before kickoff, Belichick went on 98.5 The Sports Hub and said “all three quarterbacks will play” against the Bears.

“I made a decision before the game to just play Jimmy [Garoppolo] and Jacoby [Brissett],” Belichick said when asked about those comments.

Garoppolo started at quarterback for the Patriots. He played into the third quarter and threw for 181 yards and a touchdown before getting relieved by Brissett. Garoppolo said he found out he would start “pretty suddenly before the game.”

“I didn’t think I was going to,” he said. “But then some stuff came up and I got tossed in there. It was a good test I guess, it always keeps you on your toes. Coach [Belichick] always preaches, you never know when you’re going to go in or when your number is going to get called. You just have to be ready for it.”

Garoppolo said he did not get a chance to speak to Brady about his absence.