Patriots Nation has been abuzz this week with news of Tom Brady's hand injury, wondering if it could hurt New England's chances in Sunday's AFC title game against Jacksonville.
But Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker says fans can relax. He's confident that Brady will play.
"Tom Brady is going to play," Baker said Thursday. "I don't make a lot of predictions, but on that one, Tom Brady's going to play."
When asked if he was guaranteeing that Brady will take the field, he responded, "Personal guarantee."
Brady reportedly jammed his throwing hand at practice on Wednesday when a player accidentally ran into him, according to the Boston Herald. X-rays showed no structural damage, and barring anything unexpected, Brady is expected to play in Sunday's AFC title game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The quarterback was spotted at practice on Thursday wearing gloves, and was scheduled to speak at 3:30 p.m. But the team announced around 2:30 p.m. that he would address the media on Friday instead.
It was the second straight day that the team cancelled Brady's scheduled session with the media.
U.S. & World
The third-seeded Jaguars will face the top-seeded Patriots on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Gillette Stadium after defeating the favored Pittsburgh Steelers 45-42 last weekend. The Patriots punched their ticket to the title game with a 35-14 drubbing of the Tennessee Titans.
