Tom Brady says he’s dealing with ‘banged-up’ finger on throwing hand

TAMPA — Count Tom Brady among the growing legion of banged-up Bucs two weeks into the season.

The 45-year-old quarterback acknowledged on his weekly Let’s Go! podcast Monday that he’s dealing with a sore ring finger on his throwing hand. Brady jammed his finger on the ball during a botched exchange with center Robert Hainsey in the first quarter Sunday against the Saints, resulting in a fumble.

“I banged it up pretty good, but it didn’t affect me at all in the game,” said Brady, who finished 18-for-34 for 190 yards, marking the first time he has thrown for fewer than 200 yards in a regular-season game since Dec. 13, 2020.

“It’s just going to be sore throughout the week, but one of those bumps and bruises that come along with playing.”

Brady won’t practice Wednesday, by pre-arranged design. Coach Todd Bowles confirmed Monday that his quarterback will get a rest day each Wednesday, with a handful of other veterans doing the same once a week.

“The fact that I have worked weekends for the last 23 years, I do deserve one day off a week,” Brady joked.

Less of a laughing matter is the Bucs’ burgeoning injury list on offense. The status of receivers Julio Jones (knee) and Chris Godwin (hamstring), neither of whom played in New Orleans, remains unclear for this Sunday’s home opener against the Packers. The top two left tackles, Donovan Smith (elbow) and Josh Wells (calf) also could be sidelined.

Additionally, receiver Mike Evans also will be absent unless he wins the appeal of his one-game suspension for his actions in Saturday’s fourth-quarter scuffle against the Saints.

“You get hit, you get kicked, you get kneed,” Brady said. “All these things come up, and it’s demolition derby out there. It’s who can recover fast enough in order to put yourself in position to practice, prepare and then go play well the next week.”

Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls.

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