FOXBORO — A day after being sent home for coming to work late on Wednesday morning, Patriots linebacker Adalius Thomas explained himself to reporters Thursday morning at Gillette Stadium.

In an 11-minute session at his locker with the media, Thomas said he was nine minutes late to the 8 a.m. meeting because of the snow, and added he notified the team he was going to be late, which Thomas indicated was team policy.

But coach Bill Belichick sent him home — as well as Randy Moss, Derrick Burgess and Gary Guyton, all of whom were also late — nonetheless.

“I just do what I’m told,” said Thomas. “I was told to go home, so that’s what I did.”

The four players were back at work on Thursday, and all four were scrubbed from the injury report, which had listed them as not participating in practice for non-injury related issues. Thomas explained that all four arrived separately (“We didn’t carpool,” he said), and after he arrived late, he and another one of the four were told to go home.

But a day later, Thomas was the only one of the four who discussed what happened. In the process, he took a few shots at Belichick, saying, “I can’t figure out what Bill thinks or knows. I don’t know. I promise you I don’t.”

He also gave his side of the story, saying he almost got into a car accident on the way to the stadium.

“I think everybody woke up to the snow yesterday — I didn’t know it was going to snow. There was traffic,” he explained. “I can’t run people over getting to work. I’m not going to do that.

“I don’t want people to think … it was put out there like I just didn’t show up and I didn’t have a reason and nobody knew. That’s just not true. That’s not the case at all,” he added. “I was trying to be a professional and let them know that I may not make it on time. That’s all you can do.”

Even before this week, it has been a forgettable season for Thomas. The veteran linebacker, who signed as a free agent before the start of the 2007 season, has struggled at several points this year, and was a healthy scratch earlier in the season for the first time since his rookie year with the Ravens in 2000. In the third year of a five-year contract, he has 27 tackles and three sacks this season.

On Thursday, he confessed this season has been “real frustrating,” and that he was “dumbfounded” by many of the moves that Belichick has made this year, including the decision to send him home.

“There’s a lot of things that go on that you’re dumbfounded by. Not just that. You know? You just roll with it,” he said. “I’m an Indian. I’m not the Chief. I just roll with the punches.

“But it is what it is. People just … that’s one thing about being a professional — it’s good things and it’s bad things. There’s a lot of things you can say or whatever, but it’s just not a good time.”

The session wasn’t without its light moments. Thomas was asked if he would start paying closer attention to the weather report, but he only laughed and mock-complained that the forecasts were only “50-50.” At one point, veteran defensive back Shawn Springs ambled past, and in a high-pitched falsetto, hollered “Sorry A.D.” Thomas smiled and responded with a “Sorry, Shawn.”

And Thomas drew laughs when he speculated about taking to the skies when New England is caught in the throes of gridlock sparked by a snowstorm.

“It’s not the Jetsons. I can’t jump up into the sky,” Thomas said with a smile. “What the hell am I supposed to do?”

But Thomas quickly changed his tone when he was asked if this incident could serve as motivation.

“Motivation is for kindergarteners. I’m not a kindergartener,” he said. “Sending somebody home, that’s like, ‘Are you expelled? Come back and make good grades.’ Get that [expletive] out of here. That’s ridiculous.”