Tom Brady Played The Entire Season With Torn MCL

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - SEPTEMBER 13: Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers leaves the field following a loss against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on September 13, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo: Getty)

The reason why Tom Brady underwent knee surgery after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl win has been revealed.

Brady suffered a torn MCL dating back to his final season with the New England Patriots. The injury then progressively worsened during his season with Tampa. The Tampa Bay report said that it was a partial MCL tear, but Ian Rapport of NFL insider said that it was a full MCL tear.

Brady played the entire 2020-2021 season with the injury and did not get immediate surgery. The 43-year-old quarterback led Tampa to a Super Bowl despite the injury. The seven-time Super Bowl champion finished the season with 40 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and 4,633 passing yards while completing 65.7% of his passes. He started all 16 regular-season games.

During the team’s Super Bowl boat parade, Brady was wearing a brace on his left knee. While it did raise some eyebrows at the time, it wasn’t that uncommon for Brady to wear a brace since he wears one when golfing and during other recreational activities.

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Bucs quarterback coach Clyde Christensen believed that the quarterback’s knee injury was an issue that affected Brady throughout the season. “I don’t think he was 100 percent last year,” Christensen said in June, relaying a conversation he had with Brady the morning after the Bucs won Super Bowl LV. “His quote was, ‘Hey, I’m gonna get my knee fixed up and I’m gonna be better next year and you’re gonna be excited about that.'”

Time will tell whether or not Brady and the Bucs can win back-to-back Super Bowls.