Tom Brady’s new contract reportedly will save the New England Patriots some salary cap space, but it’s nothing earth-shattering.
ESPN’s Field Yates had the contract details first, reporting Brady’s two-year extension officially has been signed, including a $28 million signing bonus and $41 million in new money.
Brady’s cap figure in 2016 and 2017, according to Yates, will be $14 million. The first two seasons will represent a $1 million reduction, as Brady’s cap hit was $15 million before the extension, per PatsCap.com. Compared to other quarterbacks around the NFL — Alex Smith, for example, has a reported $17.8 million cap hit in 2016 — Brady’s number remains team-friendly.
Yates and others also reported that Brady’s cap hit will increase to $22 million for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. That’s seemingly a big jump, but the Patriots always could restructure the deal again.
The NFL salary cap also is expected to keep rising, meaning that $22 million hit might not look as bad as Brady’s contract nears its end.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
