Patriots Legend Tom Brady Remembers Overcoming Biggest Injury

Ahead of this week's NFL slate, which includes the return of starting quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and JJ McCarthy from injury, Brady released his most recent installment of Story Time with Tom in collaboration with FOX Sports, detailing what the recovery process might have been like for those two quarterbacks, as well as when he went through a prolonged absence as well.

"It's going to be emotional," Brady said. "When you miss games and you see your teammates out there fighting without you, there's something inside of you as a competitor that wants you to go out there and join the fight with them."

In Brady's first game back — a primetime matchup against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 — the future Patriots Hall of Famer didn't wow fans with his stats. He not only recorded STATS, but the end of the game was prime dynastic Patriots football.

With 2:06 left, Brady threw a dart to tight end Ben Watson for a touchdown, pulling New England within five after a failed two-point conversation. On the ensuing kickoff, Bills returner Leodis McKelvin fumbled the ball and just less than a minute later, Brady connected with Watson again for his second score and a 25-24 win.

"We won on a last-minute comeback, and as you could imagine, that was probably one of the most excited I had ever been at the end of a game," Brady said. "Yeah, it was a relief, but it was so gratifying to fight through this extended time where you're out and you lead your team to victory."

What Can QBs Do to Avoid Getting Hurt?

Brady's recommendation for both Jackson and McCarthy is that they should try and make the easy plays. Time off the field gets a quarterback out of rhythm and to get back in sync with your teammates, Brady related it to a basketball player shooting a free throw.

"There's a great saying for a quarterback — obviously, you want to get him in rhythm — but you want to see one of the shots go through the hoop. Once they go through the hoop, you can gain a little confidence," Brady said.

"How do you get the quarterback to play well early in the game and get a little momentum? Just do some easy throws, screen plays, little short three-step drops, get the ball out of his hands. Don't make them make these crazy, full-field reads right out of the box. Let them feel the rhythm."

Brady's 2009 wasn't the greatest by his standards. He only threw for 4,398 yards and 28 touchdowns, but did lead New England to the postseason after a one year hiatus. He was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year and eventually went on to win four more Super Bowls, three of them in New England.

And of course, Brady related his injury discussion back to what he always does — staying flexible and limber with his pliability training.

"It's all about pliability," Brady said. "I'll talk about this forever. I literally wrote a book on this. It's not that hard, check it out!"