Quarterback Tom Brady won’t be playing in a contract year after all.
According to a source, Brady and the New England Patriots have closed in on a two-year contract extension. According to the NFL Network, the deal is worth $70 million. This makes for a nice birthday present for Brady, who turned 42 on Saturday and points to him likely retiring as a member of the Patriots.
Brady never has played a game in a contract year. This summer it appeared he might with his deal expriring at the end of the 2019 season. The Patriots didn’t seem to rush into a new deal; last March at the owners’ meetings, the sides weren’t talking.
According to NBC Sports Boston, Brady and the Patriots opened a dialogue in late July, but there seemed to be a sticking point – how many years to give him. Brady has maintained he wants to play until he’s 45. Now he’s tied to the Patriots through 2021, when he’ll be 44.
According to ESPN, the deal will be adjusted each year he continues playing. Brady was set to earn a $14 million base salary in 2019. This new deal will put his earnings at $23 million this season, making him the sixth-highest paid quarterback in the NFL.
Last week, in his first interview with the local media, Brady was asked about his contract status.
“I’ve had such a great experience over a lot of years,” Brady said. “I play for a great coach, Coach (Bill) Belichick. (offensive coordinator) Josh (McDaniels) and I have a great working relationship. I love Mr. Kraft and his family. We’ve had just incredible success. Hopefully we can keep it going.”
Well, it appears they will.
So far, life after 40 has been pretty great for the quarterback. In his first season at 40, Brady led the NFL in passing yards and was named the 2017 NFL MVP, becoming the oldest player to win MVP. At age 41, his stats dipped a little, but Brady and the Patriots won their sixth Super Bowl title. Now Brady will continue to try and accomplish things no other quarterback in their 40s (even age aside) ever has.
Overall this is clearly a good move for the Patriots. The team drafted quarterback Jarrett Stidham in the fourth round this past April. Although the rookie has looked solid in training camp, he’ll now have at least three years to learn behind Brady. If Stidham isn’t the Patriots’ future quarterback, the team still has time to look.
For now the Patriots will continue to roll with Brady.
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