Super Bowl-bound Antonio Pierce has dismissed the injury fears of New England Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady as a nothing more than a "psychological plot".

Brady was photographed outside the Manhattan townhouse of his model girlfriend Gisele Bundchen wearing a protective boot on Monday.

It is believed Brady picked up a sprained ankle during Pats AFC Championships victory over San Diego Chargers at the weekend, although it is not thought to be serious.

"I think it's a psychological plot," Bermudian Antonio Pierce told the New York Daily News. "If he's hurt, it really doesn't matter, because he's going to play.

"He's not a running quarterback. All you need is to throw the ball. If his arm was in a sling, I would have a little smile on my face."

"If his foot was that swollen, you can't put on regular shoes," Pierce said. "If it was so painful, you won't want to put them on. I'm not buying into it."

Brady's Patriots will be gunning for Gridiron immortality by adding to their record 18-game unbeaten streak when they lock-horns with the Giants in Arizona on February 3.