Tom Brady and the New England Patriots appear to have secured a deal that might take Tom Brady through the rest of his career, at least for the time being.
Adam Schefter reported Monday morning that the team and their 4-time Super Bowl winning quarterback agreed to a two-year deal that would keep him in New England through 2019, when he would be 42 years old.
Tom Brady and Patriots reached agreement on 2-year contract extension, tying him to NE through 2019, league sources told @diannaESPN and me.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 29, 2016
Just a year ago, Brady restructured his contract to give the Patriots $24 million more to spend in the offseason. The deal made it so that his guarantee went from “skill” to “injury,” meaning that he would get the $24 million guaranteed only if he was injured, per ESPN.
That move set Brady up to earn (as a base salary) $8 million in 2015, with the salary going up $1 million per year through 2017. The move to extend Brady here is similar, as it lowers the cap hit early, and pushes down at the end of the contract.
Brady’s salary is low in comparison to other quarterbacks, which has enabled New England to spend money elsewhere to build a perennial contender. Peyton Manning received $15 million from the Broncos in 2015, and if he returns, will earn $19 million, per Spotrac. Brady’s contract would have paid him $14 million in 2015 had it not been for the restructuring he did in January of 2015 (or if he would have gotten injured).
Seattle’s Russell Wilson is slated to make over $18 million in 2016 when his new contract kicks in that includes a base salary of $12 million. Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers made $18 million plus in 2015, and is slated for a payout over $19 million in 2016, per Sportrac.
At the age of 41 in 2010, Brett Favre made a base salary of $12 million, with no signing bonus. While there’s no immediate details of the terms of the extension, it appears Brady would be making a figure similar to that of Favre’s.
Brady hasn’t necessarily showed signs of slowing down yet, either. The 38-year-old quarterback threw for 4,770 yards last season, his highest total since 2012, and the fourth best total of his career. He also threw for 36 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions, his second lowest number of picks in his career. He’s also led the Patriots to at least a 12-4 record the past six seasons.
Tom Brady has said in the past that he wants to be a Patriot when he’s nearly 50. If he’s able to somehow beat father time (who is undefeated) and continue to post those types of numbers, the Patriots won’t say no.
