Tom Brady is arguably the greatest player in NFL history, regardless of position. Brady had an uphill battle starting as a sixth-round pick, but his longevity became one of the most important aspects of his legendary career. Brady recently shared how his decision to forgo surgery on an injury proved pivotal to his successful NFL career.
Tom Brady’s Injury Decision in 2006 Changed His Career
Through 2006, Brady had already established himself as one of the bright young stars in the NFL. He already had three Super Bowls to his name, along with three Pro Bowls.
Following the 2006 NFL season, Brady was at a crossroads due to a groin injury that he was told could be fairly serious.
“After the season, I go in and I tell the doctors that my groin is just really sore all the time,” Brady said on the “Stick to Football” podcast. “Every time I move, I can feel it just grab.”
“Well, this is what we’re going to do,” the team doctor told Brady. “We’re going to do an adductor release. So, we’re gonna go in there, and we’re gonna cut the adductor tendon in your groin, and we’re gonna cut the other side as well so that it never becomes a problem.”
Brady was skeptical when he heard what the doctor suggested to resolve the issue. He got a second opinion and reached out to his long-time personal trainer and friend, Alex Guerrero, for an opinion. Guerrero strongly disagreed with the diagnosis and told Brady he could fix it in three days.
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“So I fly out there and worked the adductors, lengthened and softened both muscles, my hips, all my glutes, basically relieved the tension on the tendon,” Brady said. “And three days later, no more pain. The doctor said there was a 99% chance he’d have to cut my adductor tendon at some point. And to this day, nothing.”
Tom Brady says his doctor told him to cut the tendons in both legs. He refused, fixed it in 3 days with no surgery, and played till 45
“After the season, I tell the doctor, My groin’s just really sore all the time. Every time I move, I can feel it just grab”
“And the team… pic.twitter.com/1uxzt4cKNW
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Brady did not experience any adverse effects from the adductor issue upon returning from the injury in 2007 or for the rest of his career.
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In fact, the eventual seven-time Super Bowl Champion had the best season of his career in 2007. He ranked as the No. 1 quarterback in PFN’s QB Impact metric, led the Patriots to an undefeated regular season, and completed 68.9% of his passes for 4,806 yards, 50 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. This led to Brady winning his first-ever MVP award.
The 50 touchdown passes set an NFL record, which was later broken by Peyton Manning. However, it still represents a benchmark for quarterbacks.
Brady’s approach and presence of mind show that sometimes the best decisions are the things people decide not to do. It’s unclear how things would’ve turned out had Brady listened to the first opinion, but it’s undeniable that things worked out well for Brady and the Patriots.
From 2007 on, Brady won three MVP awards, four Super Bowls, and was named to 12 Pro Bowls. Brady figures to be elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2028.
