After more than two decades of taking hits in the NFL, Tom Brady’s hands bear the scars of a legendary career.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion recently revealed the toll 23 seasons of competition have taken on his throwing hand in a video posted to his YouTube channel.
While participating in a lighthearted cooking challenge with social media chef Nick DiGiovanni, Brady’s ability to handle hot waffles straight from the iron sparked a conversation about the damage his hands have endured.
When DiGiovanni joked about his “chef hands,” Brady admitted years of punishing play had damaged his fingers significantly.
Tom Brady’s Career Injuries Left Lasting Damage
Brady held up his right middle finger and pointed out its inability to fully straighten. “See that finger?” he said. “Can’t even bend that finger anymore. Torn ligament.” That’s just one of several hand injuries the former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback has endured.
Over the years, Brady has suffered multiple torn ligaments, a broken ring finger, and a serious cut across his palm. One of the most notable injuries occurred before the AFC Championship Game in the 2016 season when his hand struck teammate Rex Burkhead’s helmet buckle during practice. The deep cut required stitches, but Brady still played through the pain, leading the Patriots to the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history against the Atlanta Falcons.
Despite the brutal punishment, Brady remained remarkably durable throughout his career. The only major injury that sidelined him for an extended period was a torn ACL in Week 1 of the 2008 season. Outside of that, he missed just 19 games- four of which were due to the infamous “Deflategate” suspension.
Brady’s longevity in a sport known for its physical toll is remarkable. But as his recent revelation shows, even the greatest of all time wasn’t immune to football’s brutal realities. His hands, marked by years of battles, tell the story of a career that rewrote NFL history.
