More Details On Tom Brady Extension

Tom Brady will continue his streak of not playing games on an expiring contract, having agreed to a long-rumored extension Sunday. Details and fallout are still emerging from New England. Here is the latest on the Patriots’ now-42-year-old quarterback:

• If viewed strictly through and AAV lens, Brady’s deal is on par with Russell Wilson‘s. The 20th-year quarterback’s contract is, on the surface, a two-year pact worth $70MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Brady will earn $23MM in 2019, $30MM in 2020 and $32MM in 2021 — what would be his age-44 season. However, guarantees are murky here. And this deal may well be redone yet again soon. Both Brady and the Patriots are amenable to adjusting this contract, Rapoport adds, creating a year-to-year scenario for the passer pushing the limits of quarterback longevity.
• Brady’s agreement creates $5.5MM in additional Pats cap space, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. This would push the Pats north of $14MM in available funds. It would help make room for a possible left tackle trade, with some around the league believing Trent Williams is on the defending Super Bowl champions’ radar, or a Rob Gronkowski midseason return. Or, the Patriots could simply carry over this space to help with Brady’s 2020 cost.
• But much like Drew Brees‘ mid- and late-2000s statuses, it is likely we will hear about Brady’s contract each subsequent offseason. This deal does not ensure Brady will retire a Patriot, Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston writes. The sides being amenable to renegotiating this accord will almost certainly mean the Patriots will attempt to do that in March, to avoid a $30MM cap hit next year, Curran adds. This merely allowed the Pats to save face by giving Brady a deserved 2019 raise and avoid a franchise tag impasse with one of the greatest players in NFL history, with Curran adding the Pats can still back out of this next year.