Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is entering the final year of his contract. Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who previously has deferred commentary on Brady’s status, told a throng of Boston-area media on Monday in Orlando that Brady will be the team’s quarterback beyond the coming season.
Evidence of Kraft’s comments is popping up on various Twitter accounts of folks like Tom Curran, Albert Breer, Ian Rapoport, Mike Reiss and others who likely will be miffed that they didn’t get an express mention.
Curran’s tweet adds that Kraft said he’d prefer that “Boom-Boom” Brady be working out with teammates in Foxborough, but that Kraft “understands constraints.”
Though the future of the franchise tag is in doubt given the looming expiration of the labor agreement (more on that coming later today), it’s likely that the rules that will apply as of March 2011 will continue to allow teams to squat on one unrestricted free agent per year, in exchange for a high-end salary. Thus, Kraft and the Pats most likely will be able to keep Brady even if a new long-term deal isn’t negotiated before the expiration of the current deal.