By Frank Pingue
PHOENIX (Reuters) - New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has been fighting a cold for nearly a week but said on Wednesday he expects to be fine for Sunday's Super Bowl showdown with the defending champion Seattle Seahawks.
Brady sniffled his way through a 45-minute news conference, even pausing at times to wipe his nose with his shirt sleeve, before finally confirming that he has a cold.
"I've been fighting the cold. I'll be good," Brady told reporters.
The Patriots were scheduled to hold their first practice on Wednesday since arriving in Phoenix on Monday.
Brady, looking to become only the third quarterback with four Super Bowl championships, is eager to get to practice after a steady stream of questions about the NFL's probe into his team's use of deflated balls in the AFC championship.
"It will be good to be on the field and for us to refocus," said Brady. "We've got our game plan pretty much set. Now it's about refining it and making sure it is exactly what we want it to be."