We pointed out back in May that Tom Brady’s $3.5 million base salary for 2010 paled in comparison to the $25 million earned by his wife from June 2009 through June 2010.
For the full year of 2010, Brady will now see Gisele Bundchen’s $25 million, and raise her by more than $1 million.
Per a league source, Brady will earn $26.5 million over the balance of the year, via a $16 million signing bonus, a $7 million base salary, and a $3 million roster bonus. (The roster bonus carried over from the prior deal, since it was paid on the first day of the league year.)
(Mike Reiss had most of the numbers earlier this week.)
Factoring in a $4 million salary advance (because he really needs the money, apparently), Brady’s total pay from September to early January exceeds $30 million.
In 2011, Brady will earn a base salary of $5.75 million and a roster bonus of $4 million. The base salary is guaranteed for injury and it becomes guaranteed for skill if Brady is on the roster for the final game of the 2010 regular season. There’s also an oddly-specific workout bonus of $257,280.
In 2012, Brady’s salary again will be $5.75 million, and it again will be guaranteed for skill if he’s on the roster for the final game of 2011. The roster bonus moves to $6 million, and the oddly-specific roster bonus increases to $258,120.
For 2013, a base salary of $9.75 million becomes guaranteed for skill if Brady is on the roster for the final game of the 2012 season. There’s a $5 million roster bonus, and the oddly-specific roster bonus remains $258,120.
Identical numbers apply in 2014, the final year of the five-year contract.
So the guarantee upon signing was $23.5 million, given that the non-guaranteed base salary of $7.5 million became guaranteed as soon as the 2010 regular season began. (Arguably, it’s $27.5 million, since the $4 million salary advance has migrated into Brady’s pocket and likely won’t be paid back.)
In Week 17 of the 2010 season, another $5.75 million becomes guaranteed, but only for skill. In Week 17 of the 2011 season, another $5.75 million becomes guaranteed, but only for skill. In Week 17 of the 2012 season, another $9.75 million becomes guaranteed, but only for skill. In Week 17 of the 2013 season, another $9.75 million becomes guaranteed, but only for skill.
So even though he may earn every dime under his new five-year deal, Brady’s contract simply doesn’t guarantee $48.5 million upon signing. And, surprisingly, that makes Brady’s deal a lot like Sam Bradford’s deal. Bradford received roughly $25 million guaranteed upon signing, and the rest of it won’t kick in until he takes at least 35 percent of the 2010 snaps and has his 2011 option bonus exercised. For Brady, he needs to continue to play at a high level for the four full seasons to trigger all of his supposed guarantees.
Though it’s likely that he will, it’s really not a guarantee if a guy has to keep playing well in order to eventually guarantee it.
Bottom line? Even fluffy-haired franchise quarterbacks get contracts full of fluff.