Patriots' Tom Brady, in change of plans, will sit out vs. Bears
— -- In a change of plans, the New England Patriots aborted plans to have Tom Brady start and play in Thursday night's preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Gillette Stadium.
Coach Bill Belichick had said in his pre-game interview on 98.5 The Sports Hub that the team would play all three quarterbacks, and earlier in the day, ESPN.com reported that Brady was expected to start.
But plans changed as kickoff approached, with just Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett taking the field for warmups. Team president Jonathan Kraft then said on 98.5 The Sports Hub that he didn't believe Brady would play, but didn't detail why.
Brady did not play in the team's preseason opener against the Saints after being excused to attend the memorial service of a family member.
The veteran quarterback will serve a four-game suspension to begin the regular season, as the team will turn to Jimmy Garappolo as its starter. This will mark the first season since 2001 that a quarterback other than Brady started the regular season opener for the Patriots.
Thursday night's game will also conclude a week of activity between the Bears and Patriots, as they conducted joint practices on Monday and Tuesday, while Wednesday they held a joint walkthrough-style practice.
The Patriots have divvied up reps between both Garappolo and Brady with the first team offense throughout training camp and preseason. Brady will not be allowed to practice or be at the facility during his suspension, with the preseason marking his last extended action with his teammates until reinstatement in Week 5.
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