An MRI exam Monday morning showed that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's injured right ankle is only sprained, and he is expected to be ready for New England's playoff opener, ESPN.com reported, citing an unidentified source.
As the AFC's No. 2 seed, the Patriots have a bye this weekend before the divisional round Jan. 16-17.
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Brady, who was hit in the leg in the second quarter Sunday by the Dolphins' Ndamukong Suh, was limping noticeably after a 20-10 loss and said he was "pretty sore."
The precautionary MRI confirmed that Brady didn't sustain any broken bones on the hit, the source told ESPN.com.
Though Brady returned to the game after his ankle was retaped, he eventually was replaced by backup Jimmy Garoppolo on the Pats' final drive inside two minutes and trailing by 10 points.
