The Patriots were without their two best players at practice on Wednesday.
Quarterback Tom Brady (right knee) and tight end Rob Gronkowski (punctured lung) were not spotted by reporters during local media access, according to The Boston Globe. Wide receiver Julian Edelman was also absent. All three official were listed as DNPs on New England's practice report.
Brady missed Wednesday and Thursday practices last week, and Gronkowski has been in a tender situation at best after getting blasted by Seahawks safety Earl Thomas a few weeks ago. While both were able to play in a win over the Jets this past weekend, it was clear they were suffering from some pretty serious ailments.
It would not be a surprise to again see Brady missing workouts when the Patriots (9-2) take the field Thursday ahead of Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams (4-7).
While practice absences have long been the source of irrational freakouts, it is worth noting that this year's Patriots team has faced far more adversity on the injury front than in years past. A less than healthy Brady is still worlds better than your average starting quarterback, but the Patriots did not build their foundation of success on average quarterback play.
Around The NFL will have more information once the team's injury report becomes available.
