Tom Brady Contract Extension Shows Character
By now everyone knows about Brady’s 3 year contract extension with the Patriots. Using the Tom Brady contract extension to free up cap space could save the Patriots in the NFL free agent market. This isn’t a new story though, Brady did the same thing in 2005 to see the Patriots improve. That’s not really the story though. Brady knows it’s nearing the end of his career, and he want’s to win.
People have made a point to talk about how much his super model wife earns, so the money doesn’t matter. Also, the Tom Brady contract extension money is all guaranteed. The implication is that Brady isn’t giving much up, and in the end he will still make a ton of cash. That’s true, but SO WHAT! How many professional athletes do you see willing to give up a few million dollars to better their team?
In case anyone doesn’t know, Brady agreed to a 3 year $27 million dollar extension with the Patriots. The new contract will free up $15 million over the next two years, and New England needed the money. This is roughly about 60% of Brady’s market value, and extends until Brady is 40. Brady will now account for $13.8 million of the $121 million cap.
Tom Brady knows that time is short in his NFL career, and he knows how close he is to history. In an era where professional athletes are seen as greedy and selfish, it’s nice to see some character emerge. Now don’t get me wrong, the Tom Brady contract extension still leaves him the 9th highest paid player in the NFL, so he’s not starving.
I won’t claim he deserves a humanitarian award for making over $18 million a year either, but he does deserve recognition for putting the team first. There are plenty of people who will claim it’s still selfish because Brady want’s to win another Super Bowl for his legacy. To those people there is only one thing to ask. Isn’t winning Super Bowls the goal of every player, team, and coach in the NFL?
Tom is the man. NFL NWE – Tom Brady extension includes $30M bonus; deal spans 5 years, $57M guaranteed in case of injury – source
— Jimmybanksfm (Jimmy Banks) (@Jimmybanksfm) Tue Feb 26 2013
This means the Patriots are looking at re-signing Welker, and going after an Ed Reed caliber player. The Tom Brady contract extension couldn’t have come at a better time for New England. With only small raises in the NFL salary cap expected over the next two seasons, the Patriots need to take advantage of Brady while they can.
Chris
NFL News Desk Staff Reporter
