New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady tore both the ACL and MCL in his left knee, but medical tests showed no damage to other knee ligaments and no torn cartilage, The Boston Globe reported Wednesday.
Because the typical course of action is to wait four to six weeks for the MCL tear to heal and then reconstruct the ACL, Brady will likely have surgery in one month, The Globe reported. Barring any complications, he will need six to nine months of recovery and rehabilitation.
The Patriots begin training camp for the 2009 season in mid-to-late July, a little more than 10 months from now.
Brady visited his teammates Wednesday.
Wide receiver Randy Moss said the quarterback was at Gillette Stadium and the visit was an "uplifting" experience. Brady was shown walking out of the stadium with a limp but no crutches on a video aired on WHDH-TV.
"We saw Tom today," Moss said in a national conference call. "I am not sure how much longer we are going to see him, but he is here today and has been uplifting and keeping a positive attitude. I think that goes a long way with not only him but the team as well."
Moss said Brady was "upbeat" during his visit.
"He is still the same old Tom Brady," Moss said. "I think that is what a lot [of] people don't really understand. A lot of times when guys get hurt, you might not see him around the locker room for months at a time."
But Brady was there Wednesday, a day on which his team practiced to face the New York Jets on the road Sunday.
"You expect a guy to really be down on himself," Moss said. "I think he was more down last Sunday. Just from a few conversations and text messages, he is still positive. That is what you can hope for in a guy like Tom."
With Matt Cassel and rookie third-round draft pick Kevin O'Connell as the Patriots' two starting quarterbacks after Brady's injury, New England signed quarterback Matt Gutierrez to its practice squad on Wednesday, choosing a youngster who knows its system over a more experienced player who would have to learn it.
Gutierrez could be activated for Sunday's game at the Jets.
Veterans Chris Simms and Tim Rattay met with team personnel but didn't work out or take physicals. Simms signed Tuesday with the Tennessee Titans.
Asked what the decision not to sign a veteran says about his confidence in Cassel, coach Bill Belichick said Wednesday, "I don't know what else it could say. That's it. He's our quarterback."
Gutierrez joined the Patriots as a rookie free agent out of Idaho State -- he transferred from Michigan -- before last season and completed the only pass he threw in the five games he played. He was released Aug. 30 in the final cutdown to the 53-player regular-season limit but remained unsigned.
"Matt is on the practice squad so that changes the options right there," Belichick said. "We felt like that was the best thing we could do in terms of adding a third quarterback on our roster right now."
The Patriots made two other practice squad moves, signing punter Tom Malone and releasing defensive back Mark Dillard.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.