Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and director of player personnel Nick Caserio were predictably vague Tuesday afternoon when asked about Tom Brady's reportedly "imminent" contract extension.
Essentially, due to the conflicting reports and lack of backing from the organization, it's hard to estimate what exactly has transpired with Brady's contract talks.
The Boston Herald reported Brady could reach a $58 million, three-year extension within the next 24 hours. Also, WEEI's Dennis and Callahan — who are close with Brady's camp due to his weekly in-season radio spot — reported there has been "serious progress" made with the contract talks.
On the flip side, The Boston Globe has been told to "hold your horses" on a Brady deal, and ESPN claimed reports of a new deal are "inaccurate" and "false."
Conveniently, Belichick and Caserio were already scheduled to conduct a conference call Tuesday, and those two would have as much knowledge about a Brady contract as the ballpoint pen one would use to sign such a document. Yet, Belichick and Caserio were also as talkative as said pen.
"I don’t have anything to report on any contracts," Belichick said.
Caserio later added: "As far as anything that’s reported, I don’t really have anything to add. There's nothing new to report on our end."
With all of that in mind, what should be made of the day's events? For starters, it's pretty well-known that Dennis and Callahan have a good relationship with Brady, and thus, any good news they report is likely legitimate. Then, the Herald's contract parameters are also a good indication that progress has been made in this ongoing storyline.
The Globe and ESPN reports, though, offer contradictions. Both reporters have reputable sources, so that’s got to be taken into account as well.
And finally, it's status quo for the Patriots to publicly skirt any major issues like this, whether it's regarding contract talks, suspensions or personal matters within the organization. Basically, there's nothing new there.
Belichick was even asked if he would feel a sense of pride to see Brady play his entire career in New England, which is a huge rarity in this era, and Belichick juked past that question, too.
"Right now, really, our focus is on the Bengals," Belichick said. "That’s what we're working on. As far as a lot of future planning and contracts and all that, I don’t really get into those. The focus is on the Bengals, and that’s where we're going to keep it."
So, as the events continue to unfold and the reports continue to conflict one another, feel confident that Brady and the Patriots are taking the appropriate steps toward a new deal, even if it's not completed in the next few hours.
