The NFL says there is ‘no evidence’ quarterback Tom Brady suffered any concussions after his supermodel wife Gisele Bundchen made the claims on Wednesday on CBS This Morning.
The NFL is hitting out against Gisele Bundchen’s claims that her husband, Tom Brady, suffered multiple unreported brain injuries while playing football.
In a statement released Wednesday, the organization said there is ‘no evidence’ that the New England Patriots quarterback has experienced any kind of head injury.
Hours earlier, the 36-year-old Brazilian native sat down for an interview with Charlie Rose on CBS This Morning where she revealed she worries about her husband during games.
The supermodel’s candid comments are the latest to draw attention to a growing issue with the NFL and its players developing brain diseases after playing.
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In the statement, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said: ‘We have reviewed all reports relating to Tom Brady from the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultants and certified athletic trainer spotters who worked at Patriots’ home and away 2016 season games as well as club injury reports that were sent to the league office.
‘There are no records that indicate that Mr Brady suffered a head injury or concussion, or exhibited or complained of concussion symptoms.
‘Today we have been in contact with the NFLPA and will work together to gather more information from the club’s medical staff and Mr Brady.
‘The health and safety of our players is our foremost priority and we want to ensure that all our players have and continue to receive the best care possible.’
However, the mother-of-two seemed to be revealing that her husband has not only previously suffered concussions, but implying that they may have been actively concealed.
‘He had a concussion last year, ‘ she said. ‘I mean he has concussions pretty much every – I mean we don’t talk about – but he does have concussions.
‘I don’t really think it’s a healthy thing for your body to go through like, through that kind of aggression like, all the time – that cannot be healthy for you, right?’
‘I mean I’m planning on having him be healthy and do a lot of fun things when we’re like 100, I hope.’
The 39-year-old quarterback has been listed on the Patriots’ injury report numerous times over the last four seasons, but nothing has ever been listed about him suffering a concussion, according to David Woods from The Score .
The team, however, did report leg, thigh and ankle injuries for the 12-time Pro Bowler during the 2016 calendar year.
Brady has not missed a game due to an injury since 2008 when he was forced to sit out the whole season after tearing his ACL and MCL in the season opener.
If a player is diagnosed with a concussion during a game in the NFL, he is not allowed to return for the game’s remainder. He may return the following week at the discretion of a doctor.
The NFL requires ‘significant or noteworthy’ injuries to be reported, regardless of whether a player is expected to miss playing time, and says honest reporting of injuries ‘affects the integrity of the game.’
The league is especially – albeit belatedly – sensitive to concussions, which have been linked to a brain disease that leaves former players forgetful, violent or suicidal.
Just hours after Bundchen’s interview, retired NFL stars Leonard Marshall and Matt Hasselbeck announced on Wednesday that they will be donating their brains to scientists for CTE research.
Marshall, a two-time Super Bowl winner and defensive lineman for the New York Giants, said the sport has left him struggling with short-term memory loss and erratic behavior at age 55.
Hasselbeck, 41, a retired quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, follows in the footsteps of his father Don Hasselbeck, another NFL alum who plans to donate his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation.
It remains unclear how many concussions Bundchen referred to, when they were sustained, or she implied that her husband played through a concussion last season.
Brady made headlines in 2016 for an interview with ABC News where he said that ‘concussions are a part of life’.
‘It’s part of people walking down the street, ‘ he said.
‘You run, you fall, you hit your head.’
He has long stated he wants to keep playing until his mid-40s, but he told ESPN in an interview published this week that he would continue beyond that if he was able to stay healthy and productive.
Bundchen said that despite her worries about Brady playing the game, she will continue to support him.
‘But he knows I will always – I will always support him. And I want him to be happy, ‘ she said.
‘And if that makes him happy, and he loves to do that, then I’m always gonna support him like (I) always have. So I want him to be happy and fulfilled.’
After Brady won the Super Bowl in February, he told SiriusXM NFL Radio: ‘If it was up to my wife she would have me retire today. She told me that last night three times…’
Brady, who signed a two-year $41million contract in March 2016, started in 12 regular season games and three playoff games last season, including the Super Bowl.
The Patriots have declined to comment on the report.
