Tom Brady returns to New England Patriots practice

Rest easy, New England Patriots fans, your star quarterback has returned to the fold.

Tom Brady was back at practice Thursday after missing Wednesday's session with what the Patriots called a right shoulder injury.

Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald correctly labeled Wednesday's absence a maintenance day. Brady threw an outrageous 65 passes during Sunday night's loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Brady has been remarkably durable during his NFL career, and there's nothing unusual about getting a day off before another playoff appearance by the Patriots.

Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.