In his weekly radio segment on WEEI in Boston, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady reluctantly addressed reports that he’s close to signing a new deal with the team.
Per the various members of the local media who were posting updates on Twitter (Albert Breer, Mike Reiss, Ian Rapoport, Shalise Manza Young), Brady initially said that he didn’t want to get into the status of his contract, and that he “didn’t spend five minutes” thinking about the subject on Tuesday.
Brady nevertheless reconfirmed his commitment to the team. “I love being here,” Brady said. “The thought of playing somewhere else is not a good feeling for me.” He also said, “If it’s up to me, I’d be” a member of the Patriots “forever.”
As to the notion that a deal will be done by the time the first regular-season game begins on Sunday, Brady said, “Every player on our team would have to love have that. . . . That’s just the way it works.”
Brady also said that he hopes that receiver Randy Moss and guard Logan Mankins will stick around.
“I would love to have him, of course I would,” Brady said regarding Moss. “I would love that. It’s not my decision.” As to Moss’ belief that he’s not wanted due to the absence of a contract extension, Brady said that Moss is “ready for the season,” and that "[w]hat the future holds is not on the forefront of our mind.”
Frankly, this sounds like more of the same wishful thinking that coach Bill Belichick offered up on Tuesday. If Moss’ contractual status wasn’t at the forefront of his mind, Moss wouldn’t have sounded off about it on Monday.
Brady also mentioned the team’s high-profile contractual holdout. “Nobody can replace Logan Mankins. I mean, nobody can. There’s only one of those guys.” But Brady remained pragmatic. “It doesn’t change my job at all,” he said.
It’s a wise position on Brady’s part. He’ll be expected to get the job done with or without Mankins or any other member of the starting lineup on the field. But with Mankins gone and with Moss possibly on the verge of another “I play when I wanna play” episode, the pursuit of a new deal of his own becomes even more important for Brady.
Even if, when discussing the matter, he sounds more and more like the only head coach for whom he ever has played.