Patriots, Tom Brady Begin Extension Talks

Tom Brady’s is under contract with the Patriots through the 2019 season, but the team is already getting a head start on extension talks. The five-time Super Bowl winner is in early talks with the Pats about a new deal, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets. Howe cautions that things are still preliminary and nothing is imminent. Tom Brady

Both sides are still basking in the afterglow of a thrilling Super Bowl 51 victory, so it will probably take a while before a deal can be finalized. Brady will turn 40 in August and his current deal will take him through his age-42 season, but he has been vocal about wanting to play into his mid-40s. If it were any other player, we would all be dubious of his ability to stay in the game for that long. However, Brady just finished a spectacular season in which he was arguably the No. 1 QB in the entire league. There’s no reason to doubt the future Hall of Famer and the Patriots are willing to commit to him for as long as he’s able to play.

Right now, Brady is scheduled to make $14MM in 2017, $22MM in 2018, and $22MM in 2019. By extending Brady, the Pats might be able to smooth out some of those cap hits. From the QB’s perspective, a lengthy new deal coupled with a trade of young upstart Jimmy Garoppolo would be the ultimate show of confidence.

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