NFL says there is NO evidence Tom Brady suffered any concussions last season despite his wife Gisele's claims he had multiple brain injuries while playing for the Patriots

  • The NFL says there is no evidence Tom Brady suffered any concussions while playing for the New England Patriots
  • Wife Gisele Bundchen appeared on CBS This Morning, claiming multiple unreported brain injuries, including a concussion last year
  • Hours later, retired players Leonard Marshall and Matt Hasselbeck revealed they would donate their brains to CTE research
  • The Patriots' injury report over the last four seasons has no mention of Brady ever suffering a concussion
  • The NFL requires 'significant or noteworthy' injuries to be reported, regardless of whether or not a player is expected to miss playing time 
  • Brady, who signed a $41million two-year contract in March 2016, has said concussions are 'a part of life' and that he wants to play into his mid-40s

By Mary Kekatos and Regina F. Graham For Dailymail.com

Published: 18:33 EST, 17 May 2017 | Updated: 18:59 EST, 17 May 2017

The NFL is hitting out against Gisele Bundchen's claims that her husband, Tom Brady, suffered multiple unreported brain injuries while playing football.

In a statement released Wednesday, the organization said there is 'no evidence' that the New England Patriots quarterback has experienced any kind of head injury.

Hours earlier, the 36-year-old Brazilian native sat down for an interview with Charlie Rose on CBS This Morning where she revealed she worries about her husband during games.

The supermodel's candid comments are the latest to draw attention to a growing issue with the NFL and its players developing brain diseases after playing.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

The NFL says there is 'no evidence' to support supermodel Gisele Bundchen's claims that her husband Tom Brady has suffered multiple unreported brain injuries while playing for the New England Patriots

The NFL says there is 'no evidence' to support supermodel Gisele Bundchen's claims that her husband Tom Brady has suffered multiple unreported brain injuries while playing for the New England Patriots

In a interview with Charlie Rose on CBS This Morning, the 36-year-old Brazilian native said her husband has experienced several concussions, including one last year

In a interview with Charlie Rose on CBS This Morning, the 36-year-old Brazilian native said her husband has experienced several concussions, including one last year

The Patriots' injury report over the last four seasons has no mention of Brady (seen here warming up before a preseason game in August 2015) ever suffering a concussion, and he hasn't missed a game due to injury since 2008

The Patriots' injury report over the last four seasons has no mention of Brady (seen here warming up before a preseason game in August 2015) ever suffering a concussion, and he hasn't missed a game due to injury since 2008

In the statement, NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said: 'We have reviewed all reports relating to Tom Brady from the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultants and certified athletic trainer spotters who worked at Patriots' home and away 2016 season games as well as club injury reports that were sent to the league office.

'There are no records that indicate that Mr Brady suffered a head injury or concussion, or exhibited or complained of concussion symptoms.

'Today we have been in contact with the NFLPA and will work together to gather more information from the club's medical staff and Mr Brady.

'The health and safety of our players is our foremost priority and we want to ensure that all our players have and continue to receive the best care possible.'

Bundchen said: 'He had a concussion last year. I mean he has concussions pretty much every - I mean we don't talk about - but he does have concussions' (Pictured above after Brady won the Super Bowl in February 2017)

Bundchen said: 'He had a concussion last year. I mean he has concussions pretty much every - I mean we don't talk about - but he does have concussions' (Pictured above after Brady won the Super Bowl in February 2017)

The Patriots did report leg, thigh and ankle injuries for the 39-year-old quarterback (above playing in the 2017 Super Bowl) during the 2016 calendar year

The Patriots did report leg, thigh and ankle injuries for the 39-year-old quarterback (above playing in the 2017 Super Bowl) during the 2016 calendar year

Brady made headlines in 2016 after saying during an interview with ABC News that concussions are 'a part of life'. Brady (above in 2015 after winning the Super Bowl) has said in the past that he plans to play football into his mid-40s if his body allows it

Brady made headlines in 2016 after saying during an interview with ABC News that concussions are 'a part of life'. Brady (above in 2015 after winning the Super Bowl) has said in the past that he plans to play football into his mid-40s if his body allows it

However, the mother-of-two seemed to be revealing that her husband has not only previously suffered concussions, but implying that they may have been actively concealed.

'He had a concussion last year,' she said. 'I mean he has concussions pretty much every - I mean we don't talk about - but he does have concussions.

'I don't really think it's a healthy thing for your body to go through like, through that kind of aggression like, all the time - that cannot be healthy for you, right?'

'I mean I'm planning on having him be healthy and do a lot of fun things when we're like 100, I hope.' 

The 39-year-old quarterback has been listed on the Patriots' injury report numerous times over the last four seasons, but nothing has ever been listed about him suffering a concussion, according to David Woods from The Score.  

The team, however, did report leg, thigh and ankle injuries for the 12-time Pro Bowler during the 2016 calendar year. 

Brady has not missed a game due to an injury since 2008 when he was forced to sit out the whole season after tearing his ACL and MCL in the season opener.

If a player is diagnosed with a concussion during a game in the NFL, he is not allowed to return for the game's remainder. He may return the following week at the discretion of a doctor.

The NFL requires 'significant or noteworthy' injuries to be reported, regardless of whether a player is expected to miss playing time, and says honest reporting of injuries 'affects the integrity of the game.'

The league is especially - albeit belatedly - sensitive to concussions, which have been linked to a brain disease that leaves former players forgetful, violent or suicidal.

Just hours after Bundchen's interview, retired NFL stars Leonard Marshall and Matt Hasselbeck announced on Wednesday that they will be donating their brains to scientists for CTE research. 

Marshall, a two-time Super Bowl winner and defensive lineman for the New York Giants, said the sport has left him struggling with short-term memory loss and erratic behavior at age 55.

Hasselbeck, 41, a retired quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, follows in the footsteps of his father Don Hasselbeck, another NFL alum who plans to donate his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation.

Retired NFL star Leonard Marshall, who was a a two-time Super Bowl defensive lineman for the New York Giants, said he was donating his brain in support of CTE research on Wednesday
Hasselbeck,a retired quarterback for the Seahawks, will be following in his father Don Hassellbeck's footsteps in donating his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation

Retired NFL stars Leonard Marshall, 55, (left) and Matt Hasselbeck, 41, (right) announced on Wednesday that they would be donating their brains in support of CTE research

It remains unclear how many concussions Bundchen referred to, when they were sustained, or she implied that her husband played through a concussion last season. 

Brady made headlines in 2016 for an interview with ABC News where he said that 'concussions are a part of life'.

'It's part of people walking down the street,' he said. 

'You run, you fall, you hit your head.'

He has long stated he wants to keep playing until his mid-40s, but he told ESPN in an interview published this week that he would continue beyond that if he was able to stay healthy and productive.

After Brady won the Super Bowl in February, he told SiriusXM NFL Radio: 'If it was up to my wife she would have me retire today. She told me that last night three times...'

After Brady won the Super Bowl in February, he told SiriusXM NFL Radio: 'If it was up to my wife she would have me retire today. She told me that last night three times...'

Above is a list of Brady's injuries dating back to 2013, revealed by David Woods from The Score 

Above is a list of Brady's injuries dating back to 2013, revealed by David Woods from The Score 

Bundchen said that despite her worries about Brady playing the game, she will continue to support him.

'But he knows I will always - I will always support him. And I want him to be happy,' she said. 

'And if that makes him happy, and he loves to do that, then I'm always gonna support him like (I) always have. So I want him to be happy and fulfilled.'

After Brady won the Super Bowl in February, he told SiriusXM NFL Radio: 'If it was up to my wife she would have me retire today. She told me that last night three times...' 

Brady, who signed a two-year $41million contract in March 2016, started in 12 regular season games and three playoff games last season, including the Super Bowl. 

The Patriots have declined to comment on the report. 

STUDIES SHOW SPORTS INJURIES COULD CAUSE BRAIN DISEASES

1. CLEAR LINK BETWEEN LOW-IMPACT INJURY AND ALZHEIMER'S

Research published last week confirmed the strongest ever link between sports concussions and Alzheimer's disease. 

Until now, doctors only considered severe traumatic brain injury a key risk factor for developing neurodegenerative diseases.

But the new study by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) has - for the first time - shown even low-impact injuries like concussion could have life-threatening consequences.   

They reached their conclusion by scanning the brains of 160 wounded war veterans after tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Using MRI imaging, the researchers measured the thickness of their cerebral cortex in seven regions that have been pegged at the 'ground zero' for Alzheimer's disease.

They also scanned seven control regions - regions that tend not to be affected. 

They found that having a concussion was associated with lower cortical thickness in brain regions that are the first to be affected in Alzheimer's disease.

Lead author, Dr Jasmeet Hayes, said: 'Our results suggest that when combined with genetic factors, concussions may be associated with accelerated cortical thickness and memory decline in Alzheimer's disease relevant areas.' 

2. BRAIN CHANGES IN HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS AFTER JUST ONE SEASON

A study at Wake Forest School of Medicine has been examining the brains of high school football players.

One of the participants is the son of former Minnesota Vikings player Greg DeLong. 

The study published in the journal Radiology found measurable brain changes in teen players after a single season of ball - even without a concussion diagnosis.

Now DeLong is speaking out to say he would have seriously reconsidered his football career if he had known the risks.

'Football's important to us, but there are other things out there that are more important,' DeLong told Good Morning America. 

3. CDC BUILDING DATABASE ON SPORTS-RELATED CONCUSSIONS

The CDC has estimated that up to 3.8 million concussions occur in sports and recreational activities each year.

But some experts wonder if those numbers underestimate total brain injuries, as some individuals may not seek treatment for mild or moderate symptoms.

The agency has applied for federal funding to create a database in order to investigate sport injuries and brain diseases more in-depth. 

Meanwhile, the state of Texas has embarked on the largest ever study into concussions. 

State officials hope to track brain injuries among high school sports to discover whether more needs to be done to improve player safety and protect athletes.

The University Interscholastic League, Texas' governing body for public high school sports, is partnering with the O'Donnell Brain Institute at UT Southwestern Medical Center for the project.

A state as large as Texas, which has more than 800,000 public high school athletes, would be a key step in developing a national database of brain injuries in youths, officials say. 

Comments 85

Share what you think

  View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

  View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.