New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady calls signals at the line of scrimmage during the first half of a preseason NFL game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady is breaking in a new helmet this exhibition season, yet another sign the 41-year-old quarterback is planning to play in 2019.
Brady’s old helmet is among the models being phased out by the NFL because tests showed it is not as effective at protecting against concussions. The new rules take effect next season, but Brady used a compliant helmet in last week’s preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles instead of the one he has had through most of his NFL career.
Brady says he’s still tweaking the new model to make sure the mask allows for the same comfort and peripheral vision as the one he’s used to. The most visible difference for fans is that it has a panel in front instead of solid plastic.
The quarterback says he asked his teammates if he looked younger or faster in it. “They said yes, so I might keep it,” Brady says.
Patriots cut Britt
New England waived Kenny Britt on Wednesday, ending the wide receiver’s underwhelming stay with the Patriots.
Despite losing Danny Amendola in free agency and knowing Julian Edelman will be suspended for the first four games of the regular season, the Patriots let go of the 29-year-old Britt, who was with his fourth team. New England also had released Jordan Matthews and Malcolm Mitchell from its receiving corps.
Britt caught two passes in three games for New England after joining it last December. He did not dress for any of the postseason games, including the team’s 41-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII.
The 30th overall draft pick in 2009 hurt his hamstring in June during minicamp and barely was a presence in training camp for New England this summer.
Britt’s inability to stay on the field this offseason limited his training time with 41-year-old quarterback Tom Brady during camp.
“It’s just different stages at different times whether it’s Kenny or other players,” Brady said Wednesday prior to Britt’s release. “You have set-backs with injuries and so forth and you don’t get the work but when you are out there you just try to get up to speed as best you can, so spending extra time when you’re available, I think that’s important.”
Brady said his scheduled permitted him from working with Britt during the offseason.
Britt spent the first five of his nine pro seasons with the Titans, then played with the Rams for three years, and both the Browns and Patriots last season.
The former Rutgers standout has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in a season once in his career, totaling 1,002 with the Rams in 2016.
New England has 10 receivers remaining on its active following Britt’s departure, two of them are newly-acquired veterans Cordarrelle Patterson and Eric Decker.
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