Tom Brady was entering the final year of his contract in 2019. Many assumed that it would be a foregone conclusion that he would eventually re-sign with the New England Patriots, and it appears that was, indeed, the case.
According to ESPN's Field Yates, Brady and the Patriots finalizing a contract extension that "should be done soon." Yates first broke the news on Twitter.
Filed to ESPN: the Patriots and QB Tom Brady are close to finalizing an agreement on a contract extension, per league source. Should be done soon. — Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 4, 2019
Meanwhile, ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting that the extension will be for two years, taking Brady through 2021, and it will also raise his salary from $15 million this year to $23 million.
Tom Brady’s two-year extension takes him through the 2021 season, but the deal will be adjusted each year he continues playing, per source. It will pay him $23 million this season - an $8 million boost over what he was scheduled to make. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 4, 2019
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This development isn't surprising. Though Brady put the onus of an extension on Robert Kraft just a week ago, it never seemed likely that Brady was going to go anywhere else. Now, the two sides have a new deal and will continue the longest-standing relationship between an active quarterback and his team.
Brady is entering his age-42 season, but he has publicly stated that he wants to play until he is 45. And given that he is coming off a solid season (4,355 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, 11 interceptions) in which he helped lead the team to a Super Bowl, ensuring that he will be on the team past the 2019 season is a solid move for both he and the Patriots franchise.
Also, with Brady under contract for at least the next two years, the team can try their hand at developing fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham into a potential starting quarterback. If they can't get him to progress in that time, they can consider attempting to draft or sign a different successor to Brady. But having the veteran under contract gives them a couple of years to figure out who their successor may be.
UPDATE (1:57 p.m.): Ian Rapoport of NFL Network is reporting that Brady's deal is worth $70 million, adding $8 million to this year and two years worth $30-plus million in the next two seasons.
The #Patriots and QB Tom Brady are in agreement on a 2-year deal worth $70M, source said, thru 2021. He gets $23M this year, then $30M and $32M in the following years — though both sides are amenable to adjusting it if the situations warrants. It’s essentially year-to-year. — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 4, 2019
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