Tom Brady’s contract has been a talking point at New England Patriots training camp because this could mark the first time in the quarterback’s illustrious career that he enters the season in the final year of his deal.
Brady joked about the situation Wednesday, though, and Nick Wright explained Thursday on FS1’s “First Things First” why he doesn’t think it’ll become a distraction capable of hurting New England’s Super Bowl chances.
“I think if Brady forced the issue, he would get (a contract extension). This is only not an issue because Brady is not making it an issue,” Wright said. “This is only not an issue because Brady is doing one of the things that is first paragraph of the all-time greatest résumé, which is always putting the team first even if it’s just the slightest bit to his detriment.”
Brady, who turns 42 on Saturday, has said before he’d like to play until he’s 45. That would mean three more seasons beyond the 2019 campaign, which represents Brady’s 20th since being selected in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.
“You know what Tom Brady would love to have? A three-year contract extension — to have it on paper, locked in, that if I want to be the New England Patriots quarterback until my age-45 season, I’m under contract,” Wright said. “But he’s not going to remove some of their ability to maybe — which I think they could do — go out and trade for Trent Williams, for example, in the next week and a half. He’s not going to make it a distraction or an issue, even though he has every right to.
“Tom Brady should never be in his walk year of his contract. He shouldn’t have to answer those questions. But he doesn’t need the money, he has the built-in security of, ‘Man, (Bill) Belichick maybe was planning on replacing me a few years back, but guess what? Belichick does have one boss, and that one boss, Mr. (Robert) Kraft, is not in the business of replacing me.’ So I do find it interesting, but as long as Brady is laughing about it and joking about it — even if there was a little subtle ‘Why don’t you guys ask Mr. Kraft about it?’ I think he would prefer to have (an extension). He’s not going to allow it derail their attempt to repeat as Super Bowl champions.”
Brady, widely considered the greatest player in NFL history, has been underpaid throughout his career, giving the Patriots enviable flexibility when building the rest of their roster. It’s hard to imagine him playing hardball with the organization now — on the heels of his sixth Super Bowl title — although one certainly could argue he’d be well within his right to make a few demands.
