No reason for panic -- yet -- but Tom Brady was a no-show at the media portion of Wednesday's practice.
Mike Petraglia of WEEI-FM reported no reason was given for the absence of the New England Patriots quarterback, but the obvious answer is a day of rest after throwing 65 passes in Sunday night's loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Brady met with the media beforehand for his weekly news conference. He hasn't missed a practice this season, but Brady has regularly missed late-season Wednesday practices during previous playoff campaigns.
The Patriots (10-4) face the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. New England saw its chances at securing a playoff bye take a heavy blow with the 49ers defeat. The Denver Broncos (11-3) control their own destiny for the No. 2 spot in the AFC, but if the teams finish with even records, the Patriots win the tie-breaker based on New England's Week 5 victory.
On a positive note, tight end Rob Gronkowski practiced for the second straight day coming off the broken left forearm he suffered last month. Defensive back Alfonzo Dennard also practiced after tweaking his right knee against the 49ers.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.