Deal or no deal, Tom Brady’s contract status is the talk of training camp
FOXBORO, MASS. >>
Tom Brady, the best quarterback in NFL history, is about to embark on his 20th training camp. He’ll head out onto the field Thursday stoked to win as much as any year.
Since leaving Atlanta in February with one more Lombardi Trophy for the display case at Gillette after helping lead the Patriots over the Rams, the GOAT has put on a little weight and added some muscle to his upper body. More important, he remains hellbent on capturing championship No. 7.
The fact he turns 42 next Saturday motivates him to continue showing people he’s unlike any other athlete, ignoring and defying the age clock that claims everyone in sports.
For the moment, however, celebrating the fact the Patriots are still head and shoulders above the rest at the most important posi
tion isn’t the biggest news involving No. 12.
That’s taken a backseat to his contract.
On Monday, the NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero reported there was no new deal “on the horizon,” for Brady, who is in the final year of his current pact. According to a source, while there have been discussions between the two sides, they aren’t close to hammering anything out.
So unless there’s an 11thhour turn of events, Brady will start training camp without a new deal and could start the season in play-it-out mode in a walk year. That hasn’t happened before.
How did we get to this point?
There are several factors at work.
While Patriots owner Robert Kraft has handled many of Brady’s deals, Bill Belichick has been the point man in the talks thus far. As a negotiator, Belichick isn’t much into sentiment, past performance or how many rings someone has helped an organization win.
He’s always thinking ahead. He’s always 10 steps ahead of the rest. He’s not thinking about Brady being the greatest of all time, he’s thinking of how to pay a 42-year-old quarterback who should be headed into his decline.
The trouble with that rationale is that Brady keeps proving conventional wisdom wrong. Even though Brady didn’t have his best year statistically last season, he was money when he had to be during the playoffs.
And going back a few years, even though Belichick wanted to keep Jimmy Garoppolo to eventually succeed No. 12, Brady was still too good to be overtaken by anybody.
Sure, Brady is older now, and there were a few cracks in his armor last season. Even with that, is anyone willing to bet against him this year?
Brady might not have anyone to deliver the ball to with Rob Gronkowski retired, Josh Gordon suspended and Julian Edelman nursing a thumb injury, but when has a lack of weapons ever completely stopped him?