Brady opens up about Welker

Photo Courtesy of Greg Flume

Bill Belichick was asked about Wes Welker's time in New England this morning in a press conference that was aired on ESPN. Belichick, in his typical unamused drone, deflected the question, stating that he would rather focus on the upcoming game against the Denver Broncos. I won't even give you the exact quote to read, for fear of putting you to sleep.

However, in an interview with WEEI, Tom Brady was much more willing to open up about Welker, who he has previously stated is one of his closest friends. Brady was asked whether or not he thought Welker, who suffered a concussion during last Sunday's battle against the Chiefs, would be on the field for their much anticipated matchup this weekend.

"I’ve been around him long enough to know what he’s all about,” Brady said of Welker. “He loves playing football, and [if] there’s a chance for him to play, and especially coming back here, he’s definitely going to be out there, I’ve got no question about that. … It would take an awful lot for him to miss this game."  Read more at: http://nesn.com/2013/11/tom-brady-says-wes-welker-definitely-going-to-play-sunday-no-question-about-that/

Welker is undoubtedly a durable, tough, dependable player. He took some of the most vicious hits from linebackers twice his size and always seemed to pop right back up. But in today's NFL, Welker's toughness might not matter. In order to step back on the field, Welker must pass a battery of tests in order to be cleared by team doctors as well as an independent neurologist.

Of course, I hope that Welker fully recovers from this injury and his long term health is not jeopardized. However, the Patriots are looking disastrously thin in the secondary after a rash of injuries has put a few key starter's ability to play on Sunday in doubt. So, I wouldn't be upset if Welker was unable to play, at least just against the Pats. The Broncos have a scary looking offense, and one less weapon might be the difference between a win and a loss.

Source: NESN

-Ryan Cereola
-@ryancereola