As the New England Patriots prepare for their Week 12 meeting with the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, both Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski were not spotted by reporters during the open portion of the team's Wednesday practice.
According to the Boston Herald's Adam Kurkjian, a definite reason was not provided for their absence. Additionally, Tom Brady's media availability for today was moved to Friday, and Gronkowski's scheduled session also will no longer occur, the team said.
While some fans have expressed concern given the lack of an explanation, Brady and Gronkowski likely didn't practice today just because Bill Belichick and the coaching staff want to provide them with an extended rest after a long week. Per ProFootballTalk's Josh Alper, Belichick said that the long trip to Mexico City took “a lot of energy out of our organization,” describing his players as “exhausted.”
For veterans like Brady and Gronkowski, practice is important to sharpen their precession and develop chemistry with teammates, but it's not completely necessary like it is for younger guys or newcomers still coming into their own.
Also not seen at New England's practice were David Andrews, Marcus Cannon, Chris Hogan, and Patrick Chung. Andrews Cannon, and Hogan were all inactive for Sunday's victory over the Oakland Raiders, while Chung briefly came out of the game before returning to the field later on.
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