Turns out, Tom Brady’s contract extension really isn’t an extension after all.
The long and short of it is that the new contract Brady agreed to has void years, so he essentially becomes a free agent after this season. Couple that with the fact his Brookline home is on the market, and, well, let’s just say the conspiracy theorists have a lot to work with at the moment.
Now, Brady has made abundantly clear that he plans to play into his mid-40s. So if that’s the case, why would he take a deal that doesn’t give him any sort of long-term security? On the “Quick Slants” podcast, NBC Sports Boston’s Patriots insider, Tom Curran, offered his take.
“When (Brady) stepped to the bargaining table this time and knew that he had an expiring contract, he wanted to be here,” Curran said. “What he wanted to get was some long-term security that would allow him to play until 43, 44, maybe 45 as he has stated.
“So when he stepped to the table, and the Patriots weren’t giving him the surety he would get that, what he quickly pivoted to was wanting to have his own autonomy.”
At this point, Brady certainly has earned the right to have his own autonomy, so you can’t blame him for exercising that when the Patriots seemingly became unwilling to play ball. The 42-year-old never has had any reservations about betting on himself, so it sounds like his contract situation is another challenge he’s willing to take in stride.
