Are Buccaneers violating NFL rules by not putting Tom Brady on injury report due to finger?

In news that may come as little surprise to those who have followed football-related matters over the years, it appears the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have danced around NFL rules as it pertains to the status of quarterback Tom Brady. 

Brady spoke with reporters on Thursday and insisted he was feeling "great," which is significant because he admitted during Monday's edition of his "Let's Go!" SiriusXM show and podcast that he was dealing with a hurting ring finger on his throwing hand coming off last Sunday's 20-10 win at the New Orleans Saints. However, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio noted that Brady hadn't appeared on any official injury report because of the finger this week as of Friday morning. 

As CBS Sports' John Breech pointed out in July 2021, NFL regulations are quite clear as it pertains to clubs honestly reporting any physical setbacks among players during seasons. 

"All players who have reportable injuries must be listed on the practice report, even if the player takes all the reps in practice, and even if the team is certain that he will play in the upcoming game," read a portion of the league's handbook shared by Breech at that time. "This is especially true of key players."

Brady seemed to have a "reportable injury" while speaking with broadcaster Jim Gray during Monday's show. 

"I banged it up pretty good," the seven-time Super Bowl champion said of his finger after Sunday's victory. "But, you know, it didn’t affect me at all in the game. It’s just going to be sore throughout the week. One of those bumps and bruises that come along with playing, different things, you get kicked, you get kneed and all these things come up. It’s demolition derby out there. It’s who can recover fast enough in order to put yourself in a position to practice, prepare and then go play well the next week." 

Brady never appeared on a Buccaneers' injury report because of his knee during the 2020 season, but it was later revealed he allegedly played with a fully torn medial collateral ligament during the campaign. A quick Internet search shows little was ultimately made of that matter, but the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions, along with employees of those franchises, were fined during the 2019 season for violating the league's injury report policy.