Tom Brady's Former Backup Reveals QB's Secret to Stay Warm During Cold Games

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It's not easy playing football during the winter in Massachusetts, but as he always did—former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was able to find a way.
In a recent episode of the Lots to Say podcast, Matt Cassel—who served as Brady's backup in New England from 2005 to '08—revealed the GOAT's method to stay warm in the frigid temperatures.
"One of the tricks of the trade that I learned early on was from Tom Brady," Cassel explained. "We were in the locker room and it's gonna be a cold game. It's like 17° outside, little bit of wind, little bit of sleet, and I see him putting on like a half-wetsuit ... I've never seen it before."
.@TomBrady was always a step ahead during those cold winter games. 🤫❄️
— NFL (@NFL) January 24, 2025
Full story on "Lots to Say" with @M_Cassel16 & @mrBobbyBones ➡️ https://t.co/ntTF8HmPfm@Patriots | @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/DalwoWXtjw
"It is an absolute game-changer," the former backup QB—who adopted the trick himself—continued. "Because you put that on and it just—the heat is insulated inside your body and you don't feel the elements like you would if you just wore a normal type of cloth."
From that point on, Cassel wore a wetsuit in cold-weather games for the rest of his career—and even relayed the trick to his future teammates.
TB12 was always one step ahead.
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Mike Kadlick is an NFL writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.