Here’s a look at what coaches and players are saying about the knee injury that ended Tom Brady’s season:
Giants coach Tom Coughlin: “We as coaches in this league and as administrators, all of the franchises, really, we don’t want anybody to get hurt. To have a player of that magnitude to get hurt — and I don’t know any of the details; I just know what you know what you know — it is just very, very unfortunate.”
Giants QB Eli Manning: “I saw the play and hopefully it is not as bad as it could be. I don’t know the situation exactly, but hopefully it is not bad. As a quarterback, you like to see all quarterbacks stay healthy and all players stay healthy to play the season. …
“I don’t know all the details of what the status is of the MRI or whatever happens today, but Tom is a great player and a good guy so hopefully he will make a speedy recovery.”
Giants DE Justin Tuck: “I am glad he wasn’t number 10 (Manning) on this team. I know what a quarterback, especially a quarterback of the caliber of Tom Brady, means to a team and in his case what it means to the NFL. He was our MVP last year and he is well-respected around this league not only as a great football player, but as a good human being, too. I wish Tom the best and I wish him a speedy recovery. …
“I actually heard somebody say yesterday that the two most important positions on a football team are the starting and the backup quarterback so you can only wish him the best of luck in recovery, but the NFL is a game like that where the first week you are picked to win the Super Bowl and the second week you might not even make the playoffs just because of injuries and whatnot.”
Jets TE Chris Baker: “It’s a tough break for him and the league because he is such a commodity for the entire league. At the same time, we have to go out and do our best and keep focused on what we have to do. We can’t really worry about them and the rest of the league.”
Patriots DL Richard Seymour: “We’re not going to tank it the rest of the season. That’s not going to happen,” defensive lineman Richard Seymour said in a somber and nearly empty Patriots locker room across from where Brady’s locker remained stocked with equipment and personal items. “There’s always a way to win. We’re not going to have a lot of excuses about it.”
Chiefs DB Bernard Pollard (made hit that injured Brady): “I can’t change what happened. As soon as the play happened, I said, ‘Oh, man.’ When I heard him scream, I knew it was serious.”
Cardinals QB Matt Leinart (Cassel’s USC teammate): “I’m happy for his opportunity to have a chance to play. I’m bummed for Tom. You just hope he can heal as well as he can and get back out there as soon as he can. But Matt will step up. I think he’ll be all right.”
WIth AP