A Tom Brady contract extension seemed like a foregone conclusion for the New England Patriots entering the 2019 offseason, but it does not sound like any such deal is coming in the immediate future.
Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston reported Monday night “all is quiet on the Tom Brady contract front” at the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix.
“Right now, there’s nothing coming down the pike,” Curran wrote.
Brady’s current contract situation is notable for two reasons: 1) His $27 million salary cap hit for 2019 — which could be significantly lowered via an extension — would be the highest of his Patriots career, and 2) Brady never has entered the final season of any of his Patriots contracts without extending beforehand. The soon-to-be 42-year-old currently is set to become a free agent next spring.
It almost certainly will not reach that point. When asked about a potential Brady extension during Super Bowl week, Patriots owner Robert Kraft said he “would be surprised if (Brady) didn’t continue for quite a while as our quarterback.” Likewise, Brady never has never shown any desire to play anywhere but New England, and he’s insisted he has at least a few years left in his NFL career.
Brady and the Patriots in all likelihood will come to terms on an extension before the start of training camp in late July, but it is surprising they haven’t done so yet given the cap relief a new deal for the superstar QB would bring. The Patriots were dangerously close to the salary cap limit before restructuring cornerback Stephon Gilmore’s contract and receiving an additional $9 million in room when tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement.
