Did Tom Brady Have a Concussion When the New England Patriots Won the Super Bowl?

Gisele Bundchen let it slip on CBS This Morning yesterday that her husband, Tom Brady, suffered a concussion last year — as he does every year. By all accounts, Brady avoided the concussion protocol, raising all sorts of questions. One of them: when did Brady sustain the concussion?

And while there’s no way to know for sure, the New England Patriots quarterback has no one to blame for the rampant speculation but himself. He should know Gisele can’t keep a secret when it’s this juicy.

Imagining that the concussion occurred in mid-October or in early November isn’t titillating. Imagining it came on the first play of the Patriots’ game-tying drive at the end of regulation in Super Bowl LI really hits all the pleasure centers.

Andrew Perloff, Sports Illustrated writer and tallest of all the Danettes, went there.

After watching this over and over again, I’m not sure I’m any closer to buying into this theory. What I do know is that it’s the bizarro Zapruder film. Brady’s head goes forward and to the right (forward and to the right).

The blow sustained, on its face, is significantly less violent than the one taken by Julian Edelman in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XLIX before catching the game-winning touchdowns.

Let’s remember that Edelman was tested for a concussion and cleared despite initial speculation otherwise. If this latest Brady theory isn’t rooted in fact, the Patriots can add it to an already lengthy list of martyrdom.

But, the whole idea isn’t unreasonable, considering the real truth is a bit murky at this point. We may never know if Perloff’s onto something here. The Super Bowl being decided by a concussed player is a nightmare scenario for the NFL.

That’s why, deep down, it’s tempting to believe. And, hey, if this past year hasn’t convinced you even the most outrageous claims may have teeth, nothing will.