Patriots' Tom Brady: Not spotted at Thursday's practice

Brady (Achilles) wasn't present for the start of Thursday's practice, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports.

As a result, Brian Hoyer is taking all the reps at quarterback with the first-team offense Thursday. Since the Patriots aren't playing until Monday against the Dolphins, it's likely that Brady is just being held out for maintenance-related reasons, as the Achilles' issue hasn't prevented him from missing any time this season. Brady once again shapes up as one of the top fantasy options at quarterback in Week 14.