The New England Patriots and Tom Brady agreed to a contract extension today, and now the numbers are out.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Brady’s four-year deal is worth $72 million and includes $48.5 million guaranteed. Peter King of NBC and Sports Illustrated, who first reported that the deal was done, writes that Brady will earn what’s believed to be the largest annual salary in NFL history.
It’s worth noting that Brady’s guarantee is less than the $50 million that the St. Louis Rams gave No. 1 overall draft pick Sam Bradford. Former Colts coach Tony Dungy said after Bradford signed that deal that Brady and Peyton Manning should get $70 million or $80 million guaranteed.
But it’s also worth noting, as Florio did last month, the way NFL contracts are structured. The guarantees for veterans and for rookies don’t really make for an apples-to-apples comparison, since for rookies a far lower amount is guaranteed upon signing. For a veteran, it’s all guaranteed.
In any event, Brady was guaranteed a lot of money today. And although they aren’t talking about it publicly, you can bet that Manning and the Colts are taking a close look at these numbers.