TOM BRADY QUOTES
On losing Rob Gronkowski due to shoulder injury for the rest of 2016 season starting Week 13 (told Jim Gray on Westwood One Radio
“a big void left by such a spectacular player.”
“Nobody wants Gronk not out there. Everybody wants Gronk out there every play of every game. But that’s not our reality,”
We still have a job to do and we’re going to try to do it as well as we possibly can.
It doesn’t help losing great players, and to not have Gronk out there — one of our best players and one of our most dependable, consistent players — makes things challenging for us. But that’s what the NFL season is about. It’s about overcoming challenges, adversities. We have a lot of good players on our team that are going to need to step in and fill the void. And that’s a big void left by such a spectacular player in Gronk.
So we understand the challenge is ahead. It becomes more challenging when you lose such a great player in Gronk, but I don’t think any of us are going to give up on what we’re trying to accomplish. We’ve played games without him this season, and we’re going to need to reach a higher level as individuals so that we can reach a higher level as a team.
Everyone is thinking about him and what he’s gone through. It’s such a physical sport. It’s hard to see people that you care about go through injuries. He’s gone through his fair share. I also know the resolve he has and that will never change with him. He’ll be as determined as ever to get back and get better as soon as possible.
Our thoughts are with him and what he’s gone through. He’s such a mentally tough person. He’s physically tough. He has a great energy and spirit about him, so we’re all wishing him the very best, and we hope he gets better as soon as possible.
I’m feeling so much better today. I’m excited about this weekend, going out there and playing against a great Rams defense. It’s going to be a good challenge for us and I’ll be feeling a lot better than I was feeling last week. That’s part of (the) football season, too, is dealing with the bumps and bruises and fighting through whatever adversity you face over the course of the week. A lot of guys are banged up at this time of year, a lot of guys aren’t feeling 100 percent, but you still have to go out there and find a way to perform at a high level. Nobody is making excuses and certainly nobody feels sorry for the Patriots. We still have to go out there and try to do our best and play a great game.