Tom Brady has two years left on his contract. Tom Brady usually gets contract extensions when he’s down to two years left on his contract.
But while recent months have provided nothing approaching certainty about the future of the Patriots quarterback, Patriots owner Robert Kraft downplayed the concerns about the contractual element.
“He’ll be 41 when the season starts,” Kraft told Jeff Howe of The Athletic. “Neither side has an issue with it. If it becomes an issue, we’ll deal with it.”
Four of the five contract extensions Brady has signed with the Patriots came at a similar juncture (Other than 2009, when it didn’t make sense to do an extension when he was coming off a knee injury and it waited until the following year). And because Kraft takes such a personal role with all things Brady, he has to know that his quarterback would be receptive to a new deal, since he’s making just $15 million each of the next two years, far below market value regardless his age.
Even though he’s always said he wanted to play until he’s 45, recent months have shown a more introspective lean, with the Tom vs. Time documentary showing some conflict about the strain of preparing to play at his level.
“I hope he plays,” Kraft said. “He’s at a different point in his life. He talked about it. It’s interesting to see that Tom vs. Time and see where he’s at, his kids growing up. But that is something for he and his family to decide what is right for him. Me personally, I’d like to see him play as long as he can. I don’t think anyone would have believed 10 years ago that he would have played this year, gone to the Super Bowl and been MVP of the league at 40 years old. It’s just unbelievable. It speaks to the way he takes care of himself, the way he trains, how much film he watches, one of the hardest working guys. He is driven to excel. I think as long as he feels he is like that, he’ll keep playing. We’re so lucky to have him in our system.”
And as long as Brady wants to keep playing, it’s apparent Kraft is willing to do his part to keep him happy and motivated.