If you’re an NFL player who’s healthy and able to play this weekend, Tom Brady wants to see you put the pads on and get out there for at least a little bit in Week 18.
In the most recent edition of “Story Time with Tom,” Brady emphatically stated his belief that fully healthy players should play in their team’s regular-season finale, even if their team has already secured a playoff spot and knows their postseason seeding. He also didn’t state any regrets about playing the full four quarters of the New England Patriots‘ regular-season finale against the New York Giants in 2007, when they completed a perfect regular season before losing to that same team in Super Bowl XLII.
“That was actually one of the best games of the year, when we went to the Meadowlands to take on the Giants in Week 17,” Brady said. “We played our butts off in that game, just like they did, and it was a great kind of Super Bowl preview. But we felt sharp throughout. We knew we had the bye week after that.
“To take an extended period of time off when you have the bye and take the extra week, I think that’s a lot of time off for sure. Again, you don’t wanna be rusty going into the biggest games of the year against the best teams.”
IRON SHARPENS IRON ⚔️ Tom Brady on Whether NFL Stars Should Rest Before Playoffs
While the Patriots were able to beat the Giants in that matchup, they needed a four-quarter effort to do so. They trailed early in the fourth quarter until Brady threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Randy Moss, a play that set the record for the most touchdown passes thrown (50 for Brady) and touchdown receptions caught (23 for Moss) in a single season in NFL history. New England eventually held on to win, 38-35, but lost to New York in Super Bowl XLII five weeks later, 17-14.
As the years have passed, some have debated whether the Patriots’ going all out in that game caused them to lose the Super Bowl. The Philadelphia Eagles certainly lend credence to the idea that it’s better to rest your top players when you have nothing to play for in the regular-season finale last year. They sat quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley and others in Week 18 before winning the Super Bowl.
Tom Brady doesn’t have any regrets about playing in the Patriots’ 2007 regular-season finale against the Giants, where they improved to 16-0 before losing in the Super Bowl. (Photo by MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)
Brady believes cases like the ones with the Eagles are an extenuating circumstance of when a team should rest their starters in the final week of the regular season before a postseason.
“In that instance, it worked out,” Brady said. “If you take off too much time, I do think there’s a degree of rust in this sport you don’t want. When you go into playoff football, you can’t afford to go through the first two quarters of the game at a slow start and have a slow start [cause] a sluggish tempo and never rating factors or not cease them since you’re enjoying in opposition to too good of a soccer staff.
“My perception is it’s a must to go in as sharp as doable. In case you’re combating for a No. 1 seed, in fact, you are going to play. Typically, once you’re locked right into a wild-card matchup, possibly you may relaxation a number of gamers that possibly aren’t fully wholesome, which is wise. However to relaxation wholesome gamers, I used to be by no means fairly in favor of that.”
There have been a number of instances in his 23-year profession when he performed restricted snaps within the regular-season finale. He solely performed three quarters or fewer within the Patriots’ 2005, 2010 and 2014 regular-season finales as they already knew their playoff seeding in these video games. He additionally did not play everything of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ regular-season finale in 2022, as they already clinched the NFC South.
No matter relaxation Brady acquired from these video games did not wind up paying off, although. He did not win the Tremendous Bowl in any of these 4 seasons. His groups really misplaced of their first playoff sport in two of these situations, whereas they misplaced within the divisional spherical within the different two circumstances the place Brady performed restricted snaps within the regular-season finale.
Brady by no means sat out the regular-season finale for relaxation as soon as in his profession, insisting that he wished to play each sport he might.
“I wished to begin each sport,” Brady mentioned. “There have been a number of instances the place I used to be taken out at halftime and watched the backups go in and performed. It at all times leaves somewhat bitter style in your mouth once you lose these video games late within the 12 months and also you’re attempting to get into the playoffs. However the total well being of the staff is so essential in these essential postseason matchups.”
The Eagles rested Saquon Barkley of their regular-season finale final 12 months although he had an opportunity to set the single-season speeding report. (Photograph by Emilee Chinn/Getty Photographs)
And for those who proceed to consider that the Patriots’ determination to not relaxation their starters for the regular-season finale in 2007 harm them within the lengthy haul, Brady will insist that you simply’re unsuitable.
“Not fully certain about that,” Brady mentioned when requested if he would’ve had an eighth Tremendous Bowl if he did not play within the 2007 regular-season finale. “I’ve gotta go along with my intestine intuition, and my intestine intuition is that iron sharpens iron. In case you’re a soccer participant and also you’re wholesome, it is nice so that you can go on the market and attempt to win the sport and play your greatest as a result of there’s at all times a level of issue and threat concerned. Now, for those who’ve acquired some accidents and you have to take every week off, I believe that is the most effective method as effectively.
Need nice tales delivered proper to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and observe leagues, groups and gamers to obtain a personalised publication day by day!
