The Latest Tom Brady Shocker*: He Wants a New Contract
Source – Amid national and local stories calling into question [Tom] Brady’s commitment to returning for 2018, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Wednesday that the franchise quarterback is seeking a new contract before the upcoming season.
“It’s not a pressing issue,” Garafolo emphasized on Wednesday’s edition of NFL Up to the Minute. “It’s not anything that is contentious right now. But Brady would absolutely be interested in revisiting this contract.”
The Patriots have a history of extending Brady’s deal with two years remaining on the standing contract. In which case, it’s not unreasonable for Brady to expect a renegotiation with an annual average of $14 million due in the final two years of his current agreement. …
“Tom Brady is going to play in 2018,” Rapoport explained. “He said it. Everyone close to him has said it. Everyone I’ve spoken to has said it.”
Somewhere in the Honeycomb Hideout where the failing Boston sports media gathers each day to strategize how they’re going to incite panic among Patriots fans, this is how this news is being spun. Brady is holding the Patriots hostage! He’s fed up! He’s miserable and I don’t blame him! He got Kraft to force Belichick to trade the next franchise quarterback and now he’s sticking it to the team! He never cared about money before but now he does because he’s sick of it! And good for him! He took pay cuts and they let his left tackle go anyway! I’m telling ya, things have changed! ALEX GUERRERO!!!
Because when you’re whoring for listeners and clicks, there’s only one (false) narrative that sells. Negativity. Mr. Kraft uses the word “friction” to describe wildly successful Alphas working together for 18 years and it’s portrayed like One Patriots Place looks like O-Ren Ishii’s restaurant after The Bride got done with the Crazy 88s.
But there’s not a man, woman, child or sentient animal in New England who shouldn’t be over the moon about this report. This isn’t Brady looking to leverage the organization for more Kraftbucks. This is him looking to rework his deal for the long term. This is about getting an extension, with a reduced cap number to make more title runs. It’s a sign of commitment. Despite what you’re going to hear between now and the time both sides sign on the line which is dotted, Brady has no more desire to go into his final two years of his deal without tacking seasons on than he does to eat strawberries with Terrell Suggs. If the disingenuous clickbaiters were right and he’s about to go start his new career as the world’s first Pliability Tycoon, he wouldn’t be burning the mental calories to even think about his contract. He’d just give his two weeks notice and clear out his locker. But then, why let truth get in the way of a good story? At least you can get the real story from guys like Rappoport, Garafolo and me.